Town & Country interview, saying: “FTD affects the frontal part of the brain and the temporal lobes, so it can affect movement, behavior and language, and because it is progressive, it can also spread. For Bruce, it started in his temporal lobes and then spread to the front part of his brain.
As for how it affected their family, she told the outlet: “This disease is misdiagnosed, it’s missed, it’s misunderstood, so finally getting to a diagnosis was essential for me to be able to learn what is frontotemporal dementia and being able to educate our children. I never tried to sugarcoat anything for them. She and Bruce share two daughters, Mabel Ray Willis, 12, and Evelyn Penn Willis, 10.
Bruce and his family have been largely private about what happened, but we’ve seen snippets of happiness and heartbreak from his wife, his ex-wife (the star of “The Substance,” Demi Moore) and the three adult daughters he and Moore share – Rumer, Scout and Tallulah. And while it is tragic to know that we are gradually losing the icon who appeared in “Die Hard,” “The Sixth Sense” and “Death Becomes Her,” the response to the diagnosis paints a picture of compassion and family gratitude .
He made a surprise appearance to thank first responders
When we think of Bruce Willis, we think of a man who takes action, and when the city that gave birth to Hollywood needed him most, he seemed to show his gratitude to the people keeping him safe. In an Instagram post, Emma Heming Willis showed a black-and-white video of Bruce shaking hands and posing for photos with members of the Los Angeles Police Department. In response to the recent wildfires that ravaged Southern California, she captioned the post: “Spotting a first responder, Bruce never missed an opportunity to show his gratitude with a heartfelt handshake and a ‘thank you for your service’. Yesterday was no different.
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The short and sweet clip was the most recent look at Bruce we’ve seen and he appeared in good spirits as he touted a New York Yankees cap and appeared to chat briefly with the officers. The feel-good message resonated with fans and well-wishers in the comments section, with one user particularly poignant writing: “This brought tears to my eyes! My father (who was a retired police officer and also suffered from FTD) did the same thing,” adding that “even as things progressed, his eyes lit up with familiarity and recognition every time he saw a person in uniform. Thanks for sharing!” It was a welcome return to our screens for a cinema giant who retired with one final role not really fitting for his legacy.
His wife asks: why us?
In the wake of such a tragic diagnosis, Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, has become a tragedy in her own right as she struggles with the most difficult question of all: “Why us?” In a heartbreaking Instagram post to commemorate her and Bruce’s 17th anniversary, Emma wrote: “Birthdays used to bring excitement – now, if I’m honest, they stir up all the feelings, leaving a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach. I give myself 30 minutes to think about “why him, why us”, to feel the anger and the sorrow. water at sunset sun, smiling as they hold each other, probably from a time long before Bruce’s FTD diagnosis.
When Emma appeared on ‘Today’, she spoke to the hosts about dementia, saying: ‘It’s hard for the person diagnosed, it’s also hard for the family. And it’s no different for Bruce, or me, or our daughters. When they say it’s a family illness, it really is. Emma also gave an absolutely heartbreaking response: “it’s hard to know” if Bruce knows what’s happening to him. Yet Emma refused to end her post by wallowing in misery, instead finding strength and ending her Instagram post by saying, “Then I get over it and get back to what is.” And what is… is unconditional love. I feel blessed to know that, and it’s because of him. I would do it again and again in a heartbeat.
His wife became an advocate for FTD
“We had so many plans, so many beautiful things that we wanted to do with our daughters, so many things that we wanted to experience together. You completely rip this page up, and then how do you rewrite the story? Emma Heming Willis answered her own question on “Town & Country” by refocusing her and Bruce Willis’ lives and dedicating her time and energy to becoming an advocate for him and frontotemporal dementia patients around the world.
Regarding the importance of advocacy, Emma told the outlet: “There is no cure, that’s why I’m out there to raise awareness, so they can see that we have some capacity to action in this area. I’m not going to allow FTD to bring down our entire family. Bruce wouldn’t want that. She shared her inspired goal with Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, saying, “I’ve seen others raise awareness for other important causes and illnesses that are close to their hearts and the changes that have followed have been remarkable. I am inspired and motivated by this fact. My goal is to end FTD. In the meantime, it seems like she and her family are taking good care of Bruce, as photos show that he still looks good.
Demi Moore had to meet Bruce where he is now
While Demi Moore may have memories of her past life with ex-husband Bruce Willis, she’s had to learn to meet him where he is. Above all, she told CNN that “given the data, he’s in a very stable situation right now.” And given that, People reported that “The Substance” star spoke about her estranged husband at the Hamptons International Film Festival and said, “When you hold on to what was, I think it’s a lost game. » Spending time with Bruce since his diagnosis, she added: “When you show up to meet them where they are, there is a great beauty and a great sweetness. »
The headline-grabbing couple and ‘Mortal Thoughts’ co-stars” divorced in 2000. However, while the high-profile split often sparks bitterness and tabloid criticism, in a 2009 interview with W magazine, Bruce said, “Demi and I made a relationship choice of put the kids first, and we’re really lucky that it turns out we all have fun together I still love her and have a lot of respect for the way she lives her life The quote. Bittersweet makes us hope Bruce will always remember that time when they wore matching pajamas and held giant utensils during quarantine.
Her daughters learned to live in the moment
Bruce Willis’ diagnosis also inspired his daughters to look at their own lives differently. His daughter, Tallulah Willis, stopped by “Today” to talk to Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie about how her father’s diagnosis affected her, saying, “It really showed me not to take no moment for granted, and I truly think we would be best friends. I think he is very proud of me. She then echoed her mother’s advice: “You have to be in the moment.” You have to be present. She showed some of that gratitude in a photo with her other sister, Scout Willis, on Instagram, where they hugged their dad while he held a small sign that read, “The best dad ever time “.
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But Bruce has deep support, with his blended family always encouraging each other. When Emma Heming Willis appeared on “Today” to inform the world of Bruce’s condition, his middle daughter, Scout Willis, showed not an inch of acrimony towards her mother-in-law and reposted a story on Instagram which said, “Emma, you are such a champion. for this cause and you inspire me every fucking day with your courage and deep love. Your courage moves mountains. On “Town & Country,” Emma insisted everyone stood by Bruce, saying, “I’m so grateful that we’re this blended family. They’re very supportive and very loving and very helpful, and a lot of people don’t have that. This proves once again that even in the midst of tragedy, Bruce found a way to bring people together.