Eric Dane’s battle with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is the subject of a new short documentary, Ring Every Bell. “It’s the cruelest of all diseases,” he says in the film. “There’s a grieving process. But at the end of the day, you just got to keep moving forward.”
The 21-minute film, below, shows how the actor — who appeared on Grey’s Anatomy, Euphoria, Charmed, and Brilliant Minds, among other shows, and died in February — campaigned for awareness of the disease with the nonprofit group, I Am ALS. The organization produced the picture and lobbied Congress to pass the Act for ALS. “I want to ring every bell,” he says in the doc.
The film, directed by Christopher Burke, includes footage of Dane’s visit to Capitol Hill alongside Dan Tate, Jr.,
who previously worked in government and has ALS; he’s a founding partner of Forbes Tate Partners, which lobbies government. Dane also worked with I Am ALS co-founders Brian Wallach and his wife and caregiver Sandra Abrevaya.
“This campaign is about far more than awareness. It’s about urgency, humanity and action,” Andrea Goodman, CEO of I Am ALS, said in a statement. “Through powerful, heartfelt celebrity voices and the deeply personal story shared in our documentary short with our friend and fearless advocate Eric Dane, we hope to illuminate the devastating realities of ALS while reminding every living individual with the disease that they are not alone. Every story told, every connection made, and every action brings us closer to better, faster treatments, greater support for families, and ultimately, a cure.”
“I’m trying not to die, and I want to be around for my kids,” Dane says in the film. “And I want others to be able to experience the same.”
My Book of Days, Dane’s autobiography in which he details his journey, is set for release in the fall.
I Am ALS also rolled out a new public service announcement, which features many celebrities calling for awareness of the disease. Sterling K. Brown, Sharon Stone, Nina Dobrev, Alyssa Milano, John Stamos, Tamron Hall, Shonda Rhimes, Katherine Heigl, and a clip of Dane, among others, feature in the PSA. “There’s so much more to learn and more to do,” Dane says in it. “And we have to do it now.”
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