The 54-year-old actress marked her daughter Billie’s “sweet 16” on Tuesday by sharing a collection of touching childhood photos on Instagram Stories. The posts included several throwback images — among them a touching snapshot of Dane, who died on February 19 at the age of 53 after battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
In one photo, Billie smiled brightly while enjoying a pink ice cream cone and wearing a pink flower in her hair. Gayheart accompanied the image with a heartfelt message celebrating her daughter’s milestone.
“Happy Sweet 16 to the sweetest girl — mommy loves you to the moon and back unconditionally forever and ever,” she wrote alongside the sweet snap.
She also posted a short video montage showing Billie growing up, with photos layered one after another and set to the song Landslide by Fleetwood Mac. While most of the images featured Billie with her mother or alone, a couple included her late father.
One picture showed Dane smiling at the camera while Billie sat on his lap, while another captured a tender family moment with both parents kissing their daughter on the cheeks at the same time. Gayheart and Dane welcomed Billie in March 2010, followed by their younger daughter Georgia a year later.
The birthday tribute came just one day after it emerged that Gayheart was still listed as Dane’s wife on his death certificate, despite the pair having been separated for several years before his diagnosis. According to family statements, the actor spent his final days surrounded by loved ones — including Gayheart and their two daughters.
Dane, widely known for playing Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, had previously shared emotional words for his daughters in the documentary Famous Last Words, encouraging them to cherish life, follow their passions, and remain strong no matter what challenges they face.
