Emma Heming Willis is currently one of the main caretakers of 68-year-old actor Bruce Willis. She recently opened up about “slim treatment” options for the actor after his diagnosis with dementia earlier this year.
Last year, Willis had been diagnosed with aphasia. The family released a statement about the diagnosis and shared that Willis would henceforth by retiring from acting as the diagnosis got in the way of his performance. Earlier this year, however, the actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Emma talked about a documentary recently which depicts the difficulty of treatment for people diagnosed with dementia. The documentary titled Little Empty Boxes follows Max Lugavere’s as he chronicles his mother’s dementia diagnosis.
The documentary clearly touched Hemin deeply as she wrote, “Max chronicles his mother Kathy’s battle with dementia while he educates himself on everything he can do to help her. His love for his mother is powerful. His motivation to find answers from leading health experts is inspiring and then being so gracious to share that information is a true blessing.”
The former model added, “It would be an absolute disservice if this documentary is not on a screen near us soon. Thank you Max for being so brave and vulnerable to share the journey and spotlighting the importance of brain health. When you live the world of dementia you know that options are slim. But some won’t take that lying down which is how change is made and I got to witness the beauty in that last night.”
Obviously, Lugavere was touched by Heming’s praise and commented on her post. He called her a ‘warrior’, and added, “I’m so proud to be in this fight with you.”
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Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in a person results in personality changes, obsessive behavior, and speaking difficulties.
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The family has been very transparent about Bruce’s diagnosis and their journey. In February 2023, Emma Willis, Demi Moore and Willis’ five daughters released a statement on The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration’s website. The statement read, “Our family wanted to start by expressing our deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love, support and wonderful stories we have all received since sharing Bruce’s original diagnosis.
“In the spirit of that, we wanted to give you an update about our beloved husband, father and friend since we now have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing.”
They continued, “Since we announced Bruce’s diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce’s condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD)”.
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It went on, “Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.
“FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone. For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know,” the statement read.
While the family said they are aware that FTD has no cure, they are hoping Willis’ diagnosis and their transparency with his treatment can shine more light on the issue and prompt for more awareness and the need for research.