Last year, actor Bruce Willis announced his retirement due to being diagnosed with ‘aphasia.’ However, that diagnosis was recently updated, reports Microsoft’s recent article entitled, “Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Hemming forced to dementia specialist after actor’s new diagnosis.”
Willis and Heming first met in 2007 at their mutual trainer’s gym. Heming is a British-American model and actress raised in north London and California.
“When we first met, I was surprised at how charming and how funny he was – and extremely handsome,” Heming told People. “That was my first thought of you.”
“I was already in love with her,” Willis, then 52, said. The two dated for a year before they got married in March 2009.
Willis’ diagnosis affects his communication and memory. Dr. Allison Reiss, an Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s Medical, Scientific and Memory Screening Advisory Board Member told the media what the diagnosis means. She said the causes is a “hodgepodge of different things that have been put together” leads to “a lot of devastating consequences,” such as “difficulty saying words, understanding the meaning of words, and remembering and naming familiar objects.”
The doctor also said that everything “just gets more difficult” as “the problem spreads and gets worse”, until “you pretty much lose everything.”
However, she encouraged families to keep up hope through the challenges that come with the diagnosis. This is exactly what the Willis family seems to be doing. Heming has hired Teepa Snow, a professional who provides awareness, knowledge and hands-on skills for dementia care. Heming took to Instagram to appreciate Snow, she wrote, “I’m grateful I had the opportunity to work with @teepasnows_pac who has helped me add to my dementia care toolbox.”
“She’s a loving, compassionate and skilled leader in this space who navigates herself with pure empathy,” Heming continued. “She’s a gift.”
Snow admired Heming and appreciated how she’s been caring for her husband following his diagnosis. She said that she’s done an absolutely remarkable job of providing the right support for Bruce as his abilities have changed and created a place space and life that continues to provide him with what he needs to live well.
She added that “frontal temporal dementia is never easy but with the right programming and support, it truly is possible to continue living life. Congrats to Emma and their entire family for their very, very hard work and dedication. It is truly remarkable!”
Reference: Microsoft (March 1, 2023) “Bruce Willis’ wife Emma Hemming forced to dementia specialist after actor’s new diagnosis”
