<\/p>\n
Bruce Willis\u2019 children are staying strong despite lamenting over their father\u2019s battle with frontotemporal dementia.<\/p>\n
The retired actor\u2019s wife, Emma Heming Willis, recently told Vogue Australia<\/a> how that the couple\u2019s daughters \u2014 Mabel, 13, and Evelyn, 11 \u2014 are handling the grim situation.<\/p>\n \u201cI think they\u2019re doing well, all things considered. But it\u2019s hard. They grieve,\u201d Heming Willis told the outlet. <\/p>\n \u201cThey miss their dad so much. He\u2019s missing important milestones. That\u2019s tough for them. But kids are resilient,\u201d she continued. \u201c[Although] I used to hate hearing that because people didn\u2019t understand what we were walking through. I don\u2019t know if my kids will ever bounce back. But they\u2019re learning, and so am I.\u201d<\/p>\n The actor\u2019s family first shared news of the actor\u2019s diagnosis in 2022, stating that he was experiencing aphasia, a condition caused by brain damage that impacts a person\u2019s ability to communicate and understand written and spoken language. The announcement coincided with the now 70-year-old\u2019s retirement, ending a four-decade career that spanned 100-plus film appearances and earned Willis one Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmys, among other honors.<\/p>\n In 2023, Moore explained on social media<\/a> that Bruce\u2019s \u201ccondition has progressed\u201d to frontotemporal dementia, also referred to as FTD. The brain disorder attack causes damage to the frontal and temporal lobes, resulting in personality changes and difficulty with language or speech, according to Alzheimer\u2019s Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n The award-winning action star now lives in a \u201csecond home<\/a>\u201d where he can receive 24-hour care, as mentioned in the special, \u201cEmma and Bruce Willis: The Unexpected Journey \u2013 A Diane Sawyer Special.”<\/a> <\/p>\n During the special, Heming Willis revealed that her husband lives separately from her and their daughters so he can receive around-the-clock care. The arrangement also means that Bruce will not be disturbed by any noise from his family, which can potentially agitate his dementia, per PEOPLE<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re there a lot. It\u2019s our second home, so the girls have their things there,\u201d Heming Willis said of the \u201cnearby\u201d living quarters, according to PEOPLE.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was one of the hardest decisions that I\u2019ve had to make so far. But I knew, first and foremost, Bruce would want that for our daughters,\u201d Heming Willis added, according to Consequence<\/a>. \u201cYou know, he would want them to be in a home that was more tailored to their needs, not his needs.\u201d<\/p>\n Heming Willis has opened up about her husband\u2019s health several times this year. In June, she reflected<\/a> on her husband\u2019s diagnosis in an Instagram post<\/a> on Father\u2019s Day (June 15) stating that \u201cthese symbolic days stir up a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHappy Father\u2019s Day to all the dads living with disability or disease, showing up in the ways they can and to the children who show up for them,\u201d she wrote in an Instagram post, which depicted Willis with his face obscured by a hat.\u2028<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m profoundly sad today,\u201d she wrote. \u201cI wish, with every cell in my body, that things could be different for him and lighter for our family.\u201d<\/p>\n But Heming Willis also used the post to share some uplifting messages, and spoke about her husband\u2019s presence in the lives of his children, who also include three other daughters \u2014 Rumer, Scout and Tallulah<\/a> \u2014 with his ex-wife Demi Moore.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat Bruce teaches our girls goes far beyond words,\u201d she wrote. \u201cResilience, unconditional love, and the quiet strength in simply being present.\u201d<\/p>\n Heming Willis ended the post on an uplifting note, encouraging readers to celebrate the fathers in their own lives.<\/p>\n \u201cAs they say in our FTD community, \u2018It is what it is.\u2019 And while that might sound dismissive, to me, it\u2019s not,\u201d she concluded. \u201cIt grounds me. It helps me return to the acceptance of what is and not fight this every step of the way like I used to. Today, let\u2019s celebrate the badass dads, those who are here, and those we carry with us.\u201d<\/p>\n In August, Heming Willis said told Diane Sawyer that her husband\u2019s \u201clanguage is going,\u201d but remains active.<\/p>\n \u201cBruce is still very mobile. Bruce is in really great health overall, you know,\u201d Heming Willis said in the interview<\/a> that aired on Aug. 26. \u201cIt\u2019s just his brain that is failing him. The language is going. We\u2019ve learned to adapt and we have a way of communicating with him, which is just a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite his grim condition, Heming Willis said Bruce\u2019s vibrant personality still comes through on occasion.<\/p>\n \u201cWe still get those days,\u201d she told Sawyer. \u201cNot days<\/i>, but moments. It\u2019s his laugh. He has such a hearty laugh. And sometimes you\u2019ll get that twinkle in his eye or that spark. And I just get transported. It\u2019s just hard to see because as quickly as those moments appear, then it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n
\n