Six months after Bruce Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, it seems “hard to know” whether the famous actor was aware of the extent of his deteriorating condition, his wife revealed.
Emma Heming Willis, the wife of the “Die Hard” star, said in a radio interview with the “Today” website on Monday that she has been taking care of her husband since the moment he was diagnosed with the disease.
She called the 68-year-old actor “the gift that keeps on giving” who taught his family “love, patience and resilience” in the midst of their grief.
During the interview, Emma Willis talked about the health of her 68-year-old husband, his life with frontotemporal dementia, and how people care for their loved ones who suffer from such conditions.
She continued to advocate for those suffering from this disease, whose symptoms include emotional problems and difficulties in communicating, walking and working.
“Frontotemporal dementia is often misdiagnosed,” she said in the interview, but noted that “finally knowing the truth about his disease does not make it any less painful, but realizing what is happening to Bruce makes it relatively easier now.”
“It’s hard on the person who is diagnosed with dementia, and it’s hard on the family. When our daughters say it’s a family disease, it is,” she said.
Bruce Willis first retired from acting in March last year after his family publicly revealed that he was suffering from aphasia, a neurological condition that impairs people’s language processing, including their ability to read and write. Later, last February, Willis’ family announced that his condition had developed into frontotemporal dementia.
The wife confirmed that it is not clear whether her husband was aware of his condition, noting that “it is difficult to know.”