Bruce Willis' wife in tragic update on his dementia as she admits 'I need help'
Bruce Willis' wife has admitted that she "needs help" amid the actor's recent dementia diagnosis.
It was revealed last year that Bruce had been diagnosed with a form of dementia called frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD). His family confirmed the star, 68, had been told of his condition in the spring of 2022. The Die Hard star's closest initially said he was suffering from language disorder aphasia before they had the heartbreaking news that his condition had progressed to frontotemporal dementia.
In her recently uploaded YouTube video, Emma told her subscribers about her journey with Bruce and shared that she needs to "learn to ask for help" before explaining that "this is a marathon and not a sprint." She said: "I would like for people looking at this journey from the outside to feel like they have ways to effectively step in.
"Usually what tends to happen is the friend asks what they can do to help, but that just puts another added task on a caregiver to have to dictate, then teach and most times we just don’t have the bandwidth for it. But what I know is we do need help and we do need to learn to ask for it because if we don’t it is not sustainable.
Emma opened up about Bruce's diagnosis (Emma Willis/ YouTube)Emma continued: "This is a marathon and not a sprint. You do need to call in the help and the support because it’s just not sustainable."
Bruce Willis diagnosed with dementia as family release emotional statement
She also admitted she sometimes feels guilty when taking time to look after herself while also caring for the star. The 45-year-old model has been raising awareness of the condition ever since Bruce was diagnosed and she's now taken to Instagram to share some information with fans in support of World FTD Awareness Week. In a video, Emma sadly revealed that "there is no cure" for her husband's disease.
"FTD is short for frontotemporal dementia or degeneration," she wrote in the clip. "FTD effects the front and temporal lobes of the brain. Today there is no cure or single treatment for this disease."
Emma explained that this is "one of many reasons" why it's important to raise awareness of FTD. She also explained why it is so important to her that more people know about FTD in the video's caption.
The couple tied the knot in 2009 (AFP/Getty Images)
Emma has raised awareness about Bruce's diagnosis (Getty Images for Film at Lincoln Center)"Welcome to World FTD Awareness Week 2023. I'm passionate about raising awareness for this disease called frontotemporal dementia that has entered into our family’s world," Emma explained. "My hope is you will learn and take away something new and helpful from this week. I'm here to let the next family know that you are not alone and that there is understanding and hope within our strong FTD community."
Emma also appeared on US morning TV show, Today, on Monday, and was visibly emotional as she described her husband's condition and opened up further on the impact it's having on their family. Bruce and Emma share two young daughters, Mabel, 11, and eight-year-old Evelyn, while the actor also shares three daughters with his ex Demi Moore - Rumer, 35, Scout, 32, and Tallulah, 29.
She told the hosts: "What I'm learning is that dementia is hard. It's hard on the person diagnosed. It's also hard on the family. And that is no different for Bruce or myself or our girls. And when they say that this is a family disease, it really is."
When it came to Emma explaining how Bruce is dealing with the condition, she candidly admitted it is "hard to know" whether he actually knows what is going on, but insisted the family have kept an "honest and open household" and continue to discuss the issue.
Emma appeared on The Today Show (TODAY EXCLUSIVE)"The most important thing was to be able for us to say what the disease was, explain what it is because when you know what the disease is from a medical standpoint it sort of all makes sense," she added before revealing she sees herself as a "care partner" rather than Bruce's "caretaker".
After the Today Show shared a clip of the chat on social media, Emma was inundated with messages of support from followers of the programme as well as friends. Maria Shriver wrote: "Proud of my friend @EmmaHeming for bringing so much attention to frontotemporal dementia. Care partners need our respect. They are among us everywhere."
Over on Instagram, Emma also shared a behind-the-scenes look into the goings-on before the talk aired, giving a shoutout to all her friends who had been supporting her on the journey. The clip showed host Hoda Kotb giving her a tight squeeze in the dressing room. In the comments section, Bruce's daughter Scout left a heartfelt message, writing: "I’m tearing up right now thinking about how much I love you and how brave you are."
Bruce Willis' unusually close bond with ex Demi Moore after dementia diagnosis
Tallulah also commented, simply writing: "I love you so much."
Scout also reshared the clip on her own Instagram Stories saying how proud she is at Emma sharing the family story and helping to spread awareness of FTD.
According to the Alzheimers Society, frontotemporal dementia is a rare type of dementia that causes issues with a person's behaviour and language. It is sometimes referred to as Pick's disease or frontal lobe dementia.
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