Rebecca Gayheart is keeping her daughters close as their family moves through its first year without Eric Dane.
Seven months after the Grey’s Anatomy actor’s death, Gayheart said Billie, 16, and Georgia, 14, are doing their best while adjusting to another major change at the same time. “We’re hanging in there,” she told PEOPLE at Step Up’s Inspiration Awards in Los Angeles on September 25.
Both girls are now in high school, something Gayheart noted would be a significant transition under any circumstances. She described the family’s current period as a “challenging season” and said her priority is staying close to her daughters as they navigate it.
Dane died on February 19 at 53 after his battle with ALS. In the months since, Gayheart and the girls have continued through school milestones and family occasions while adjusting to life without him.
Gayheart Says Being Under the Same Roof Helps
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Gayheart said her children, friends and other people she trusts have become an important part of how she handles difficult days. Having Billie and Georgia at home with her provides a particular sense of comfort.
“Being under the same roof with my kids and having them next to me, safe, always makes me feel better,” she told PEOPLE. Gayheart added that she also relies on certain people in her life when she needs to talk through what she is feeling.
Us Weekly reports that Gayheart has also continued advocating for ALS research since Dane’s death. Earlier in September, she urged supporters to contact members of Congress about legislation that would provide additional funding for ALS research and treatment access.
She Told Billie and Georgia, ‘We Show Up’
Gayheart had begun preparing her daughters for their father’s declining health before his death. As Dane’s ALS progressed, she told Billie and Georgia that whatever had happened between their parents, he remained their father and they would continue being there for him.
“He is our family. He is your father,” Gayheart previously said while discussing what she told the girls. “We show up, and we try to do it with some dignity and some grace and just get through it.”
Gayheart acknowledged that she did not know whether there was a perfect way to guide teenagers through what the family was facing. Her approach was to remain present and try to model how to move through difficult circumstances with them.
The Girls Are Beginning Their Own Next Chapter
Billie and Georgia are also beginning to explore some of the same creative fields as their parents. Georgia has been studying acting and worked alongside Gayheart on a Lifetime project, while Billie has started modeling.
Gayheart told E! News that she and Dane tried to instill character and good decision-making in both girls before they began pursuing entertainment. She said they taught their daughters about boundaries and recognizing situations that might not be safe.
Entertainment Weekly also detailed the advice Dane left for Billie and Georgia before his death. He encouraged them to live in the present, find something they love and approach adversity with resilience.
Gayheart has been setting her own example by returning to work. In an earlier September interview with E! News, she described the family’s experience as a “season of growth” and said that although life remained difficult, they were continuing forward together.