Nearly a year after it was revealed that movie star Bruce Willis would retire from acting due to an Aphasia diagnosis, his family has shared more details regarding his health.
Bruce’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, his ex Demi Moore along with several other family members, took to Instagram to reveal that the actor’s condition had “progressed” and they now have a more definitive diagnosis for him, namely Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)
According to a statement from the family, the communication challenge is just one of the many symptoms that Bruce has to face. Last year March, the announcement of Bruce’s aphasia diagnosis stunned fans around the world, as it came as a complete shock.
Keep on reading to learn more.
Bruce Willis’s Family Share Health Update
In a joint statement, Bruce’s family gave fans a critical update on the actor’s condition. They also shared how grateful they were for the outpouring of love they received from fans worldwide following their initial revelation of his unfortunate condition.
The statement read, “We wanted to give you an update about our beloved husband, father and friend since we now have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing.”
The supportive family then went on to reveal that Bruce had further been diagnosed with “Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)” due to the progression of his illness.
The family added that “while this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”
What Is Frontotemporal Dementia?
According to an extended version of the Willis family’s statement shared on the official FTD website, it is “a cruel disease” and also “the most common form of dementia” for people under the age of 60.
Because of how long It could take to diagnose the ailment, it is very prevalent as people go years without knowing that they are suffering from it.
Their statement read, “FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone. For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know.”
They continued, stating that “there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead. As Bruce’s condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research. ”
The Willis Family Want To Raise Awareness Of The Disease
Taking a page from Bruce’s book on kindness, the Willis family plans on helping push for awareness about the terrible ailment.
They wrote, “Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately. We know in our hearts that – if he could today — he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families. ”
In their statement, they encouraged other families going through the same experience to find out more information on the ailment in order to understand how best to deal with it. They also urged people who have no experience with FTD to try learning about it and what it entails.
The Willis family noted, “ours is just one family with a loved one who suffers from FTD and we encourage others facing it to seek out the wealth of information and support available through AFTD (@theaftd, theaftd.org).”
They concluded by highlighting how much Bruce treated people with care and love, saying that it has “meant the world to them” to see that same care “echoed back to him.”
Bruce Willis’ Family Has Been By His Side
Following the shocking diagnosis of his health, Bruce’s family has kept fans up to date on his day-to-day activities via videos and photos, showing how much love and happiness the ailing actor is surrounded by.
The famous action movie star recently made an appearance in a cute Instagram photo dump by his daughter Tallulah, where they both made silly and goofy faces to the camera.
Also, last year, he appeared in a fun video with another of his daughter Mabel and danced along with her to Lizzo’s chart-topping hit song, “About D*mn Time.
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