Eric Dane was never afraid to speak about his health.

Before the Grey’s Anatomy alum died on Feb. 19 at age 53, he was candid about the struggles of living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neurodegenerative disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. 

“I started experiencing some weakness in my right hand,” Eric recalled of his initial health problems during an appearance on Good Morning America last year. “I didn’t really think anything of it at the time. I thought maybe I’d been texting too much or my hand was fatigued, but a few weeks later I noticed it got a little worse.”

Eric was diagnosed with ALS nine months after first experiencing mobility issues. As he put it, “I will never forget those three letters.”

And even though the disease—which affects how nerve cells communicate with muscles, leading to paralysis and respiratory failure—slowed him down physically, Eric did not let it end his acting career.

In fact, he kept working, filming Countdown, Brilliant Minds and Euphoria‘s third season after publicly disclosing his ALS diagnosis.