Bruce Willis’ wife shares cute story encouraging dementia research

Emma Heming Willis, the wife of actor Bruce Willis, has offered an update on his progress, in addition to sharing a sweet story that offers a unique perspective on Willis’ condition and an urging for people to ask questions about dementia.

In an Instagram post, Emma said she discovered that Evelyn, one of two daughters she has with Bruce Willis, was doing her own research on dementia, searching for “fun facts”. Emma’s response: “She really is her father’s child because these two love some random facts. So I said to her, ‘Evelyn, we will always make sure daddy has a bottle of water in hand. Thank you for letting me know. But that is the most loving and compassionate thing that you can do is to be curious and educate yourself on your dad’s disease.’” She added to this, writing she hopes that people “educate ourselves about our loved ones’ disease so we can best show up for them and support them in the best way possible.”

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A post shared by Emma Heming Willis (@emmahemingwillis)

The family of the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning actor announced in March 2022 that he was diagnosed with aphasia and that he would retire from acting. Earlier this year, it was unveiled that Bruce Willis’ aphasia had progressed into frontotemporal dementia, which greatly affects the frontal and temporal parts of the brain. While Bruce Willis may be out of the spotlight, his family has been courteous enough to fans to provide updates on his progress.

Emma Willis also shared a few words from Adria Thompson, who specializes in speech pathology and dementia: “On behalf of the person you’re caring for that has dementia, whether they can express it or not—I want to say thank you. Thank you for loving them, thank you for spending time to educate yourself about dementia. Because that is the most compassionate thing that you can do by having more insight into their world and the life they are experiencing that they can’t always express.”

What is your favorite Bruce Willis movie and performance? Send your best to Bruce Willis below as he continues his fight against frontotemporal dementia.