Dementia-stricken Bruce Willis’ young daughter researched father’s Illness
Emma Heming Willis was reduced to tears when her nine-year-old daughter began researching ways she could help her dementia-stricken dad Bruce Willis.
The Hollywood star was diagnosed with the rare condition of frontotemporal dementia – which affects the front and sides of the brain and can cause behaviour problems and personality changes – earlier this year, after initially being diagnosed with the brain disorder aphasia, which causes speech issues, in March 2022.
And the 68-year-old actor’s wife Emma Heming Willis, 44, has revealed the touching way their daughter Evelyn has been trying to understand the illness to help her dad.
Trying to hold back the tears, she began: “So I have to tell you this story, and I’m going to try and do it without crying.
“Because when Evelyn told me this story, I was an absolute puddle.”
She revealed that Evelyn looked up “fun facts about dementia” during recess at school and one fact she learned is that sufferers “can become severely dehydrated.”
Emma – who also has 11-year-old Mabel with Bruce – continued: “Now, that’s not funny, but it’s kind of funny.
“And 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.’ “
Emma also shared a poignant quote from a recent Instagram Live she did with speech-language pathologist Adria Thompson.
She captioned the clip: “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.”
“Adria Thompson @belightcare
“Adria, what a mic drop that was. Thank you”
Bruce – who is also father to Rumer, 34, and Tallulah, 29, whom he has with ex-wife Demi Moore – retired from acting when he got his aphasia diagnosis.
