Following Bruce Willis’ health deterioration and his recent diagnosis of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), his wife, Emma Heming Willis, came out for the first time to share her experience as a caregiver in an exclusive interview.
The 45-year-old, who also doubles as the founder of Make Time Wellness, made an appearance on TODAY with Hoda and Jenna recently as part of the kickoff event for World Frontotemporal Dementia Awareness Week. She was joined by Susan Dickinson, the CEO of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
Emma Heming Willis says it is difficult to know whether or not Bruce Willis is aware of his condition
During the conversation, Emma gave an update on Willis’ health while also providing insight into the challenges the family continuously faces. “Dementia is hard,” she told host Hoda Kotb. “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. When they say this is a family disease, it really is.”
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She also shared an interesting detail about her husband, revealing that it remains uncertain whether or not he’s fully aware of his condition. “It’s hard to know,” Emma admitted.
Emma Hemming Willis says she has come to terms with her husband’s Diagnosis
She offered valuable advice during her interview, emphasizing the importance of caregivers also prioritizing their health. “As a care partner, it’s so important to be able to ask for help and support. You can look to organizations like the AFTD, like Hilarity for Charity — [which] is sort of a great starting point,” Emma stated. “It’s important for care partners to look after themselves so that they can be the best partner for the person that they’re caring for.”
Emma further clarified that she has made peace with her husband’s health, and she is maintaining a positive outlook on life and giving him the best care he needs. “Just being in the acceptance stage, and just being in the know of what is happening to Bruce, just makes it a little bit easier,” she noted. “There’s so many beautiful things happening in our lives. It’s just really important for me to look up from the grief and the sadness so that I can see what is happening around us. Bruce would really want us to be in the joy of what is. He would really want that for me and our family.”