by Leyla MohammedBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffAs a Celebrity Reporter, I cover everything from fashion and award shows to TV, film, and cultural conversations. Last week, news broke that beloved Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria actor Eric Dane had sadly died almost a year after announcing his ALS diagnosis. Saul Loeb / Getty Images ALS, which stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, impacts the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing patients to gradually lose their ability to speak, walk, and breathe independently. Eric's family representatives said in a statement, "He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world. Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he's received." Gregg Deguire / Getty Images Among all the celebrities who have shared tributes to Eric, his estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart, thanked fans for their condolences. "I am so blown away by the outpouring of love and support from our community," she wrote on Instagram alongside a collection of photos of herself and Eric. "There aren't words to express our gratitude. You are truly holding us up during this difficult time." Steve Granitz / Getty Images Eric and Rebecca got married in 2004, and share two daughters. They separated in 2018, and a month before Eric went public with his ALS diagnosis last year, she requested to dismiss her initial divorce filing. Chris Weeks / Getty Images In December, Rebecca opened up about how "committed" she was to taking care of Eric in a detailed essay published by the Cut. Frazer Harrison / Getty Images "I care about him deeply. We had a really lovely marriage for a long time - we were married for 15 years - we created two beautiful girls," she said in part, later adding, "We separated, but we never got a divorce; we were about to and then we didn't. We haven't lived in the same home for eight years; he's dated other people, I've dated someone. It's a very complicated relationship, one that's confusing for people. Our love may not be romantic, but it's a familial love." John Shearer / Getty Images "This year, the girls and I have spent a lot of time at Eric's house, which is about a 12-minute drive away from our home. We have a lot of meals together... We wanna take advantage of the time that he has right now. He made it very clear that he wants to spend time with his family as much as possible, and I am committed to facilitating that. That was an easy conversation to have," she added. Elsewhere in the interview, Rebecca recalled struggling with "figuring out the health-care system" while Eric was getting treatment, revealing that his provider repeatedly denied what she was requesting. River Callaway / Getty Images "Eric has 24/7 nurses now," she said. "Just figuring out the health-care system is its own thing - the health-insurance company will deny you what you're asking for and you have to appeal and then you have to apply again." Robin L Marshall / Getty Images "With the nurses, the woman from his insurance said to me, 'You can keep applying, and I'll keep denying,' I was like, 'Oh? F that.' I made it my mission. I was 'locked in,' as the kids would say. I crashed out, and then I locked it in," she shared. Jason Laveris / Getty Images Rebecca went on to reveal that, thankfully, their claims were "approved after two appeals." Going on to detail what the 24/7 care actually looked like for Eric, she said, "The week is divided into 21 shifts. There are times that shifts aren't covered, so I cover them. There was a 12-hour shift recently that I could not cover. I could only do four hours because of all the stuff that the kids are doing." Jean Baptiste Lacroix / Getty Images "So I had to call on two of Eric's friends, one of them who had never really taken care of him in that way. I thought, I can't believe I had to ask someone to do this. And of course when I asked for help, they said, 'Yeah, anything, what do you need? What's going on?' And they both showed up and did a wonderful job," she recalled. You can read Rebecca's full essay here. Comments