"When they say that this is a family disease, it really is"- Bruce Willis’ wife opens up about his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis

Emma Heming Willis, Bruce Willis' wife, recently opened up about his health, his treatment, and the effect it had on their family in a recent interview with NBC's TODAY show. This interview comes six months after Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.

Despite the challenges faced by Bruce and his family members, Emma revealed that this disease has taught them how to love and care. She said:

"What I’m learning is that dementia is hard. It’s hard on the person diagnosed, it’s also hard on the family. And that is no different for Bruce, or myself or our girls. And when they say that this is a family disease, it really is."

She also elaborated on how her household has been "open and honest" about Bruce Willis' condition. She added:

"The most important thing was to be able, for us, to say what the disease was, explain what it is, because when you know what the disease is from a medical standpoint it sort of all makes sense....It was important that we let [our daughters] know what it is because I don’t want there to be any stigma or shame attached to their dad's diagnosis or any form of dementia."

Bruce Willis last appeared in Assassin this year, which marks his final film role.

---

"He is the gift that keeps on giving"- Emma Heming Willis on Bruce Willis and the illness

On Monday, Emma Heming Willis appeared on the Today show alongside Susan Dickinson, head of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), to promote World FTD Week.

Speaking about the Die Hard actor's diagnosis, Emma shared that "it's hard to know" if Bruce Willis is aware of his condition.

It is, of course, not easy to deal with a life-altering disorder, in this case, FTD, an umbrella term for a group of brain disorders that affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.

Due to the varying effects on different parts of the brain, this disease also shows a variety of symptoms, ranging from complete behavioral changes to cognitive issues with language usage. This is also a disorder that affects everyone around the person diagnosed with it.

Despite this, Emma Heming Willis was positive about this big change in their lives and called it a "blessing and a curse." She said:

"Honestly, he is the gift that keeps on giving. Love. Patience. resilience. So much and he’s teaching me and our whole family. For me to be out here doing this, this is not my comfort zone. This is the power of Bruce,...It’s just really important for me to look up from the grief and the sadness so I can see what is happening around us. Bruce would really want us to be in the joy of what is...He would really want that for me and our family."

Bruce Willis' diagnosis left many fans across the world disheartened, who wanted to see more of the veteran actor. With a career spanning over four decades, Willis is widely recognized as one of the greatest action stars of this generation, having appeared in over 200 films.

Willis also boasts multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two People's Choice Awards.