Eric Dane Spent His Final Days Lobbying for Expanded ALS Research (Exclusive) Cara Lynn ShultzFri, May 15, 2026 at 8:44 PM UTC 0 Eric Dane advocated for ALS funding on Capitol Hill five months before his death in February 2026 In PEOPLE&x27;s exclusive clip from the documentary Ring Every Bell, he meets with lawmakers on behalf of the Push for Progress initiative The film, produced by I AM ALS and Chris Burke, premieres May 18 and features Dane urging lawmakers to reauthorize ACT for ALS Eric Dane spent his final days advocating for ALS research, going to Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to incr...
Eric Dane Spent His Final Days Lobbying for Expanded ALS Research (Exclusive)
Cara Lynn ShultzFri, May 15, 2026 at 8:44 PM UTC
0
Eric Dane advocated for ALS funding on Capitol Hill five months before his death in February 2026
In PEOPLE's exclusive clip from the documentary Ring Every Bell, he meets with lawmakers on behalf of the Push for Progress initiative
The film, produced by I AM ALS and Chris Burke, premieres May 18 and features Dane urging lawmakers to reauthorize ACT for ALS
Eric Dane spent his final days advocating for ALS research, going to Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to increase funding for the neurodegenerative disease.
The actor, along with other ALS advocates, appears in Ring Every Bell, a documentary chronicling his work with the Push for Progress initiative, an effort that not only worked to advance ALS treatment and access but also aimed to secure $1 billion in federal funding for the disease.
As part of his advocacy, Dane — who announced that he'd been diagnosed with ALS in April 2025 — visited with lawmakers during a trip to Washington, D.C., in September 2025, urging them to reauthorize ACT for ALS (Accelerating Critical Therapies for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). It was just five months before he died in February 2026.
Eric Dane in Washington D.C. in September 2025
Credit: Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty
In PEOPLE's exclusive clip from Ring Every Bell, which premieres May 18, Dane meets with Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, telling her, "We have a bill that needs to get to the floor for reauthorization, and then it needs to get fully funded because if it doesn't, then people who are dependent upon some of these investigational therapies no longer have access to them."
Dane is also shown chatting with lawmakers, telling Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, "I love your state. My family's in Anchorage," before bragging good-naturedly about catching a 72-lb. salmon in Alaska when he was 12.
"It was bigger than I was," he said.
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In February, the Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria actor, 53, died of respiratory failure, according to his death certificate obtained by PEOPLE. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an underlying cause of death.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare degenerative disease that causes progressive paralysis of the muscles. Patients first experience twitching or weakness in a limb, often followed by slurred speech. According to the Mayo Clinic, because the disease affects the nerve cells in the brain and spine that control muscle movement, patients slowly lose their ability to speak, eat, walk and breathe independently.
There's no cure for ALS, and people usually live three to five years after diagnosis, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Although he died before seeing the final cut of Ring Every Bell, the actor did see a rough edit of the documentary in February. The actor was visibly moved, according to a press release from I AM ALS, and gave the team this advice: “Keep going.”
Ring Every Bell, produced by I AM ALS and Chris Burke, premieres May 18 on I AM ALS's website and social channels.
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: May 16, 2026 at 12:09AM on Source: RED MAG
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