Emma Heming Willis is opening up about the crucial support she needed after revealing her husband Bruce Willis' diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
On May 3, the 45-year-old attended the AFTD 2024 Education Conference and shared her experience of seeking community while navigating the complexities of the disease. In a video clip from the event, posted on Instagram on May 6, Emma was asked about the impact of publicly disclosing the health battle faced by the Die Hard star.
"I felt a sense of relief," she confessed. "I could finally breathe and release the burden weighing heavily on my shoulders. Everything changed for the better once we shared his diagnosis. It allowed me to access the support that my husband and our entire family desperately needed."
Emma later shared the video again, expressing her determination to raise awareness about FTD. She wrote, "My mission is to shed as much light on FTD as possible. My ultimate goal? To witness the development of effective treatments and ultimately find a cure."
Bruce's family disclosed his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in February 2023, issuing a collective statement that emphasized his enduring zest for life.
"Bruce has always found joy in life—and has inspired everyone around him to do the same," they shared.
Expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support, they continued, "Witnessing this outpouring of care and affection means the world to us. Your unwavering love for our beloved husband, father, and friend during this challenging period has deeply touched our hearts."
Concluding their statement, the family conveyed their appreciation for ongoing compassion, understanding, and respect, underscoring the importance of these sentiments in enabling Bruce to lead as fulfilling a life as possible.
Frontotemporal dementia encompasses a range of brain disorders that affect the frontal and temporal lobes, leading to atrophy in these regions. This degeneration can manifest in speech difficulties, emotional disturbances, and alterations in personality. Additional symptoms may include impaired motor skills, such as difficulty walking, swallowing, or muscle spasms. Symptoms typically progress over time, with onset typically occurring between the ages of 40 and 65, though it can affect younger individuals as well. FTD represents the most prevalent form of dementia in individuals under the age of 60.
On March 3, Emma took to Instagram to address the detrimental effects of sensationalized media coverage surrounding neurocognitive diseases, a topic that hits close to home for her family, particularly in light of Bruce's FTD diagnosis. She candidly shared her response to feeling "clickbaited" by a headline regarding Bruce's health.
"The headline suggests that my husband has lost all joy in life. Let me be clear: that couldn't be further from the truth," Emma began. "It's time for society—and those behind these sensationalized headlines—to stop instilling fear. Stop painting a bleak picture for individuals receiving a diagnosis of a neurocognitive disease. It's not the end. It's not game over. There's so much more to the story."
Emma emphasized that her family's journey has been anything but bleak since Bruce's diagnosis.
"Yes, there's been grief and sadness. But there's also been a newfound sense of hope and resilience," she asserted. "We're embarking on a new chapter—one filled with love, connection, and yes, joy."
Emma's remarks came on the heels of her conversation about the impactful work she and her business partner, Helen Christoni, are doing through their wellness brand, Make Time. Their efforts focus on raising awareness about the importance of brain health, particularly among women.
The Quran - Chapter Al-Fath : 29
Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those with him are firm with the disbelievers1 and compassionate with one another. You see them bowing and prostrating2 ˹in prayer˺, seeking Allah’s bounty and pleasure. The sign ˹of brightness can be seen˺ on their faces from the trace of prostrating ˹in prayer˺. This is their description in the Torah.3 And their parable in the Gospel is that of a seed that sprouts its ˹tiny˺ branches, making it strong. Then it becomes thick, standing firmly on its stem, to the delight of the planters4—in this way Allah makes the believers a source of dismay for the disbelievers.5 To those of them who believe and do good, Allah has promised forgiveness and a great reward.
The Prophet Muhammad had to perform a historic role which is referred to in the Quran as making religion predominant.
For this he needed a group of men of high calibre. Such men were available to him thanks to Ishmael, their progenitor, having been settled in the Arabian desert two thousand five hundred years before.
With such ancestry it was the most vibrant group of history. When their full potential was tapped, thanks to Quranic instruction, the Arabs turned into a nation of heroes.
The importance of this group was so great in the eyes of God that He informed the prophets about them in advance.
In the Torah their individual qualities were mentioned while, in the Bible, their collective qualities were emphasized.
The quality of the individuals in this group was made manifest in their unyielding behaviour towards the aggressors.
Their behaviour was governed by principles and not by their desires or emotions. Their temperament was such that they bowed down before God and were engrossed in prayers to and praise of God.
