The wife of actor Bruce Willis spoke candidly about how the family is coping with his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, stating that despite the difficulties, it has taught them how to love and care.
The “Die Hard” actor’s aphasia diagnosis, which was “impacting his cognitive abilities,” was disclosed by the family in March 2022, along with the news that he would give up performing. He was identified as having frontotemporal dementia, the family revealed in February.
On Monday’s “TODAY” program on NBC, his wife, Emma Heming Willis, said: “What I’m finding is that dementia is horrible. Both the diagnosed person and the family are affected negatively by this. And Bruce, myself, or our girls are not any different in this regard. And it’s true what they say about this being a family sickness.
Heming Willis referred to her household as a “care partner” and described them as “open and honest” about the illness.
The ability to define and describe the sickness was crucial for us because, once you understand the disease from a medical perspective, everything starts to make sense, she said. I didn’t want their dad’s diagnosis of dementia or any other form of dementia to be associated with any stigma or guilt, so it was crucial that we told [our girls] what it was.
Two little daughters belong to the couple. With his first wife, Demi Moore, 68-year-old Bruce Willis has three grown daughters.
On the morning show, Heming Willis, 45, gave a speech in observance of World FTD Awareness Week.
According to the Mayo Clinic, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), often known as Alzheimer’s disease, is an “umbrella term” for a collection of mental illnesses that impair the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain and are typically linked to personality, conduct, and language.
According to the clinic, symptoms vary, with some people going through “dramatic changes in their personalities” and becoming impulsive or emotionally impassive, while others lose their capacity to speak clearly.
According to the National Institute on Aging, there is no treatment for FTD, although drugs might enhance the quality of life by lowering the agitation, irritability, and depression that are occasionally associated with it.
FTD is frequently misdiagnosed, according to Susan Wilkinson, CEO of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
“Because it is less frequent, it is one of the more puzzling components. It can take almost four years on average to acquire a diagnosis because most doctors don’t understand it. Along the way, they receive a lot of incorrect diagnoses. Frequently, Alzheimer’s, bipolar disorder, and depression,” she stated.
When questioned if Heming Willis is aware of his own condition, Willis said, “Hard to know.”
As the name suggests, the disease can originate in the frontal and temporal lobes, and one of the functions that the frontal lobe regulates is self-insight, said Wilkinson. So, we’re really in the dark. Any awareness that they themselves have changed is the first thing some individuals lose, while others hold onto it for a very long time.
Heming Willis described the diagnosis for her husband as “the blessing and the curse.”
“He is truly a gift that keeps on giving,” Love, tolerance, and fortitude. He is teaching myself and the rest of our family a great deal. It is out of my comfort zone for me to be doing this out here. This is Bruce’s strength, she said.
Even so, she insisted, “So many beautiful things are happening in our lives.”
Just so I can see what’s going on around us, I really need to look up from the sorrow and the anguish. Bruce would really like for us to enjoy what is, she continued. He genuinely would want that for me and our family, I think.