The Shadow
“I AM ALS.”
That was the message promoted by a May public service announcement in support of ALS research and treatments.
The minute-long video in honor of ALS Awareness Month features several celebrities and includes a posthumous message from the late Eric Dane. In February 2026, Dane passed away due to his struggles with ALS.
Dane, the beloved actor from the Grey’s Anatomy TV series who played Dr. Mark Sloan (also known as McSteamy), became a fierce ALS advocate following his April 2025 diagnosis.
After his diagnosis, Dane connected with I AM ALS.
I AM ALS is an ALS patient advocacy group that connects the ALS community with resources to promote policy action.
The group’s co-founders, Brian Wallach and his wife Sandra Abrevaya, are acutely familiar with ALS. Wallach received his ALS diagnosis the day his newborn daughter came home from the hospital.
Such heartbreaking stories help raise awareness about the ALS movement. Dane was ready to serve the movement with a purpose.
As part of his advocacy, Dane visited Capitol Hill to share his ALS story with lawmakers.
In September 2025, I had the opportunity to meet with Dane and discuss the federal path forward to help the ALS community.
Remarks from our meeting, together with Dane’s other lawmaker meetings, are featured in the now-released documentary Ring Every Bell: Eric Dane’s Final Act.
The 20-minute documentary chronicles Dane’s ALS advocacy journey, shares his personal perspective on the debilitating illness and activates enthusiasm for the I AM ALS movement.
In the documentary, I mentioned to Dane that I come from an ALS hotspot in the Roanoke Valley. Friends, family friends and others in our community know of someone impacted by ALS.
Personal stories like these and too many others have helped shape the I AM ALS movement as well as the federal response to this rare disease.
In April 2026, Wallach and Abrevaya testified before the Health Subcommittee that I chair. They expressed support for the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Reauthorization Act.
Five years ago, both of them testified in front of the Health Subcommittee as well when this legislation was first introduced. At the time, Wallach was able to deliver his testimony with the support of his wife.
Wallach’s ALS condition is so debilitating, at the time of his second appearance before my Subcommittee, he was unable to speak or move. But his appearance at the hearing beside his strong wife sent an incredibly powerful message.
Despite receiving news, when first diagnosed, that he had six months to live, Wallach has lived with ALS for more than eight years.
Further, aided by technology, Wallach testified that the ACT for ALS bill is our best chance at finding a cure.
This bill reauthorizes critical federal funds for ALS research. This research supports the development of investigational drugs and clinical trials.
Additionally, the bill helps support funding for other neurodegenerative diseases, like Huntington’s Disease.
Later that day, I attended an “ACT for ALS” press conference. The bill’s sponsor, Democrat Mike Quigley, as well as Wallach and Abrevaya were a part of the event to address the ALS bill.
As one of the speakers, I reaffirmed my commitment as Health Subcommittee Chairman to help deliver hope for ALS-impacted Americans through this health care policy.
Accordingly, in May, my Health Subcommittee reported the bill to the full Energy and Commerce Committee.
Our full Committee debated the bill, and I look forward to continued opportunities to help get this to the House floor.
The week following the release of the Dane documentary and public service announcement, I was proud to vote with the Committee to advance the ALS bill promoted by the likes of Dane, Wallach and Abrevaya, among others.
As we continue to build off the legislative momentum on this critical solution, so too does the ALS awareness campaign.
Raising awareness on ALS makes me think of those we lose in our community to the devastating illness.
A political mentor of mine, former Virginia Delegate Raymond R. Robrecht of Salem, died on Christmas Eve in 1994.
There is also my Roanoke Valley swimming friend Rob Lawson, who passed away in 2022.
These are only two of the people I have known who succumbed to ALS.
They are among countless others that help light the fuse for the I AM ALS Movement.
For those who endure, treat and advocate on behalf of the cause, I stand with you.
I AM ALS.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at https://morgangriffith.house.gov/.
