Eric Dane, best known for his roles in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Euphoria‘, spent the final chapter of his life not resting but fighting. Fighting for research funding, fighting for access to treatment, and fighting for people who did not have the same resources he did. Months after he passed away in February, a short documentary is now offering the world a closer look at just how hard he pushed until the very end.The film, titled ‘Ring Every Bell’, chronicles Dane’s advocacy efforts through his work with the I AM ALS non-profit to battle amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. According to USA Today, the documentary’s title is based on a phrase Dane repeatedly used during his journey with the rare degenerative disorder.
What ‘Ring Every Bell’ is about
The film captures Dane’s determined push for the reauthorization of the ACT for ALS, a 2021 law that grants funding to scientific research and expands access to investigational ALS treatments for people who are not otherwise eligible for clinical trials.In a clip shared from the documentary, Dane said, “We have a bill that needs to get to the floor for reauthorization, then it needs to get fully funded. If it doesn’t, then people who are dependent on investigational therapy no longer have access to them.”He continued, “I’m very fortunate to get great medical care and access to all of these investigational therapies etc, which is why it’s so important to me that this bill gets pushed through because it gives access to people who wouldn’t normally have access”A screening of the film will take place in Washington DC, on May 6 on an invite-only basis. I AM ALS confirmed in a news release
Eric Dane’s final months
Dane passed away on February 19 from respiratory failure, nearly a year after he publicly announced his ALS diagnosis in April 2025. He was 53.USA Today also noted that before his passing, he travelled to Washington, DC, several times in the fall to urge Congress to renew the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act through the non-profit’s Push for Progress initiative. The campaign aims to expand access to treatment and secure an additional one billion dollars in federal funding for ALS research over the next three years.I AM ALS further revealed that some of Dane’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ costars participated in the campaign, though no names have been shared at this time.
A memoir to be released posthumously
Dane’s memoir, titled ‘My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments’, is set for release on November 3. It has been described as “a deeply personal work” and “a reflection on family, resilience, faith, sobriety, fatherhood, and what it means to live fully in the face of terminal illness.”A March 5 news release stated, “Completing and publishing this book was Eric’s decision. He wanted his daughters and readers to have these words. Publishing it as planned allows him to continue speaking, in his own voice, with the clarity and courage that defined him. We are profoundly grateful to share his final work.”‘Ring Every Bell’ screens in Washington, DC, on May 6. ‘My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments’ releases November 3.
