In March 2022, Bruce Willis‘ family announced that the famous actor was retiring from acting due to a language disorder called aphasia. Earlier this year, he was sadly diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in what was a clear deterioration of his condition.
Months after this sad news, his wife, Emma Heming-Willis, used the awareness week for this terrible disease in the United States to comment on her current struggles.
“There is no cure or treatment for this disease today,” she declared.
Since then, Heming-Willis has used her Instagram account to post videos and information about the condition, as well as raise awareness for these terrible diseases to be studied and researched to prevent their impact in the future.
“Welcome to World TCD Awareness Week 2023. I am passionate about raising awareness about this disease called frontotemporal dementia that has entered our family’s world,” she wrote in a caption on Instagram.
“My hope is that you will learn and take something new and useful away from this week. I am here to let the next family know that they are not alone and that there is understanding and hope within our strong FTD community.”
Willis fans grateful to Emma Heming-Willis
In the comments section, fans of the actor thanked Emma for her efforts and dedication during this difficult time in his life.
“My father had FTD. Thank you for raising awareness and I’m sorry you are living this story too,” were the words of one fan.
“You are doing a great job raising awareness!” added another.
“You are amazing. Thank you for putting this issue in the public eye!” concluded a third fan.
What is frontotemporal dementia?
According to alzheimers.gov, frontotemporal dementia is caused by a group of disorders that gradually damage the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. This damage causes impairments in thinking and behavior.
Life expectancy
As a degenerative disease people with the condition can live up to 10 years after diagnosis.
However, there are also cases of people who live less than 2 years after being diagnosed by a specialist.
Finally, frontotemporal dementia is, together with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, the third most common cause of neurodegenerative dementia among sufferers.
