Inside Bruce Willis' health struggle with 'slim' treatment options left

23 July 2023 , 06:00

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Bruce Willis is battling frontotemporal dementia

Bruce Willis' dementia prognosis was revealed earlier this year, with an expert later confirming that there are "no treatment options" left for the Hollywood icon.

The Die Hard star's family announced news of the 68-year-old actor's health battle last year. They said he was suffering from language disorder aphasia before they had the heartbreaking news that his condition had progressed to frontotemporal dementia.

In the original announcement, which was made in March 2022, his family said: "To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him."

Bruce Willis' health battle was revealed in March 2022

And then back in February of this year, Bruce's family revealed an updated diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD). At the time, the actor's wife Emma Heming Willis; Demi Moore; and his five daughters, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn, shared a detailed statement with the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.

"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)," the statement read. His family continued: "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."

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Aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage to parts of the brain that control speech, while FTD is characterised as the result of damage to neurons in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.

Symptoms of the rare condition that the Hollywood star include unusual behaviors, emotional problems, trouble communicating, difficulty with work, and difficulty with walking.

And just a few weeks ago, Emma spoke out and said: "When you live in the world of dementia you know that options are slim."

His wife Emma has been campaigning, with her often sharing updates on Bruce with their fans

After Bruce's prognosis was announced as FTD following his condition's progression, Mirror US spoke to Tim Parry, the Director at Alzheimer’s Research UK, to garner what the update meant for the star. He said: "Our hearts go out to Bruce Willis and his family, following the awful news that he has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia."

Tim went on to outline some of the treatment options available, with him saying: "As Bruce Willis’ family have highlighted, there are currently no treatments to slow or stop frontotemporal dementia. Because of this, the focus is to help people with the disease manage their symptoms in everyday life. This is the tragic reality every single person affected by the disease faces today and we shouldn’t accept it."

Bruce and Emma got married in March 2009 (2019 Getty Images)

The couple share two daughters, with Emma recently taking them to see their dad's wax figure (@emmahemingwillis/Instagram)

Tim went on: "We praise Bruce’s family for their openness surrounding his diagnosis – this will go a long way in bringing a lesser-known form of dementia out of the shadows and put a spotlight on the need to for more research investment."

Since the fresh update on Bruce's health, his wife Emma has dedicated her time to raising awareness around his diagnosis, with her vowing to never forget her husband's glowing career and accomplishments. In June 2023, Emma even took their two daughters, 11-year-old Mabel and nine-year-old Evelyn, to their father's Hollywood Walk of Fame star and to see their dad's waxwork figure at Madame Tussauds also.

On Father's Day back in June, both his wife Emma and ex-wife Demi Moore praised the actor being such a brilliant father.

Emma also took their daughters to Bruce's Hollywood star on the Walk of Fame (@emmahemingwillis/Instagram)

Emma is vowing to always remember Bruce's glowing career (@emmahemingwillis/Instagram)

Emma shared a snap of Bruce with Mabel and penned: "Father’s Day is a time I get to reflect on my deep appreciation and respect I have for Bruce as I watch him, father, our little ones." While Demi shared a sweet black and white snap from their kids' childhood and penned: "Forever grateful to you BW for giving me these three beautiful girls. We love our #girldad. Happy Father’s Day!"

Also in June, Bruce's daughter Tallulah, who he shares with his ex-wife Demi Moore, said the symptoms of Bruce's dementia started out as "a kind of vague unresponsiveness", which his family assumed was a result of "Hollywood hearing loss".

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She explained how they thought years of being told to "speak up" on set had messed with her father's ears. And when the actor's unresponsiveness worsened, she took it to heart and thought he had simply moved on with his new family

"Later that unresponsiveness broadened, and I sometimes took it personally. He had had two babies with my stepmother, Emma Heming Willis, and I thought he'd lost interest in me," she wrote in an emotional essay for Vogue.

If you have questions about frontotemporal dementia, or any other form of dementia, you can contact the Dementia Research Infoline on 0300 111 5 111 between 9.00-5.00pm Monday to Friday or send an email to [email protected]

Mollie Quirk