The 44-year-old Emma Heming Willis, Bruce Willis’ wife, described how their nine-year-old daughter Evelyn tried to understand her father’s ongoing battle with dementia.
Emma shared an emotional event with her Instagram followers on Monday. In order to support her father, she explained how the family of the “Die Hard” actor’s youngest child required critical medical information regarding dementia.
When Emma started to tell her story, she found it difficult to control her tears and said, “So, I have to tell you this story, and I’m going to try to do it without crying because when Evelyn told it, I was an absolute puddle.”.
Mabel Ray, 11 years old, and Evelyn are both children of Emma and Bruce. With his ex-wife Demi Moore, 60, with whom he was married from 1987 to 2000, Bruce Willis, 68, also shares three daughters: Rumer, 34; Scout, 31; and Tallulah, 29.
About the risks of severe dehydration in dementia patients, Evelyn provided her mother with crucial information. Emma revealed that Evelyn found out about these particulars while looking up “fun facts about dementia” in her free time at school.
She is her father’s child because these two enjoy sharing interesting trivia, Emma reflected.
“Now, that’s not funny, but it’s kind of funny.”.
Evelyn was praised by Emma for her empathy and initiative, saying, “Thank you for letting me know… that the most loving and compassionate thing you can do is be curious and educate yourself on your dad’s disease.”.
This emotion emphasizes how important it is for caregivers—whether friends or family—to arm themselves with knowledge about the illness the people they care about are battling. It’s the best way to offer assistance, Emma remarked.”.
Emma made a connection between this moving experience and what dementia expert Adria Thompson and she had previously discussed on social media.
Emma quoted Thompson’s statement, which read, “On behalf of the dementia patient you’re caring for, whether they can express it or not – I want to say thank you. I appreciate your concern for them and your effort to educate yourself about dementia.”.
In her final statement, Emma urged everyone to “keep learning, stay curious, and remember to hydrate your loved ones.”.
For her husband and those with dementia, Emma continues to be a pillar of strength. Recently, she attended a screening of the documentary “Empty Little Boxes,” which was produced by best-selling author Max Lugareve, whose mother also has dementia.
She made the most of the opportunity to talk about her experiences and raise awareness of the disease’s few effective treatments.
She shared pictures from the event and thanked Lugareve for raising awareness of the illness. “Max, thank you for being so brave and vulnerable to share the journey and highlight the importance of brain health,” she retorted. ”.
In order to concentrate on his struggle with aphasia, a condition that impairs his language abilities, Bruce Willis retired from acting last year. His retirement and current health status were disclosed by his family in a statement at the time.
On February 16, 2023, a statement from Emma and Demi Moore, Bruce’s ex-wife and his family, revealed that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
The signs of this kind of dementia include personality changes, compulsive and repetitive movements, a desire for unhealthy foods, and trouble speaking. These signs are distinct from those of Alzheimer’s illness.
The family’s statement continued, “In the spirit of that, we wanted to give you an update about our beloved husband, father, and friend since we now have a better understanding of what he is going through.”.
The family thanked everyone for their support since breaking the initial news and expressed their happiness at receiving a conclusive diagnosis.
