27 February 2024 , 14:50
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Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming Willis shared a touching quote alongside an unseen throwback picture of the pair.
The family of the Die Hard star went public with his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis in 2022, and since then, the former model, 45, has become her husband’s primary caregiver. Emma, who shares two daughters with Bruce, has been championing the rights of carers over the last two years, and in a poignant post on her Instagram Story, she urged her followers to “check in” on caregivers who are dedicating their lives to look after loved ones.
“Caregivers are our unsung heroes. We need to check in on them just as much as we check in on the person they are caring for,” she wrote, as she thanked one of her followers for supporting carers. Emma then shared a touching picture of her and Bruce embracing on the streets of New York, with a bustling night time scene going on behind them. “NY diaries circa 2010,” she captioned the photo.
READ MORE: Bruce Willis' wife Emma shares sweet throwback snap for Valentine's Day as actor's dementia declines
The photo was taken 12 years before his diagnosis
The couple wed in 2009 (Getty Images for Film at Lincoln Center)She followed up the post on her Instagram Story with a heartbreaking clip from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, as leading man Matthew Broderick spoke directly to the camera. “Yep. I said it before and I’ll say it again. Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” he smiled.
Bruce Willis diagnosed with dementia as family release emotional statement
Bruce’s condition was first made public in March 2022, when his family - including ex-wife Demi Moore and their daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah - announced he would be retiring from acting due to aphasia, a disorder that causes difficulty with language or speech. Less than a year later, they revealed he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, and has since retreated from the spotlight as he’s cared for by his wife Emma.
Emma became his primary caregiver following his diagnosis (VCG via Getty Images)In September last year, the mother-of-two admitted it was “hard to know” if the Hollywood legend understood his diagnosis, but she was trying to focus on the positives as she researched his condition. She told the Sunday Paper that she has “so much more hope today than I did after Bruce was first diagnosed,” and wanted to raise awareness of the condition. “I have hope in having found a new purpose – admittedly one I never would have gone looking for – using the spotlight to help and empower others,” Emma shared.
Earlier this month, it was announced she would be releasing a book about her experience as caregiver to her husband, and will offer a “thoughtful, inspiring guide for those seeking support while navigating a loved one’s dementia.” The as-yet-untitled book will be released in 2025, and Emma said it was “important” to give caregivers as much information as possible while watching their loved ones live with the condition. “Having resources and information readily available is imperative,” she stated.