Bruce Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2022. Since then, his health has worsened, and he now requires full-time care from caregivers. His wife, Emma Heming Willis, has been very candid about Bruce’s condition. Recently, she shared a touching reflection on how they have been coping with his dementia during the Christmas season.
Since Bruce Willis received his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, his wife, Heming Willis, has been open about the challenges her husband faces, as well as the feelings of their family. With Christmas approaching, the 47-year-old has written on her blog about the difficulties her family has encountered during the holidays.
Emma expressed her feelings of sadness while dealing with her husband’s dementia. She noted that the holidays “look different” now, explaining that they have had to approach planning in an entirely new way.
In her blog post, she began with, “The holidays have a way of holding up a mirror, reflecting who we’ve been, who we are, and what we imagined they would be. When you’re caring for someone with dementia, that reflection can feel especially poignant. Traditions that once felt somewhat effortless require planning- lots of planning. Moments that once brought uncomplicated joy may arrive tangled in a web of grief. I know this because I’m living it. Yet despite that, there can still be meaning. There can still be warmth. There can still be joy. I’ve learned that the holidays don’t disappear when dementia enters your life. They change.
Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, provides an update.
Emma Heming Willis went on to discuss the topic of grief.
“First and foremost, I want to express that it’s perfectly fine to grieve. Grief is not solely tied to death. It is also connected to change and the ambiguous loss that caregivers are all too familiar with. It encompasses the understanding that things will not progress as they once did, and it relates to the absence of routines, conversations, or roles that were once so ingrained that you never envisioned them coming to an end.”
Reflecting on the past, Emma offered her thoughts on Bruce Willis and his sentiments regarding Christmas. She mentioned that he “cherished” this season, relishing the “energy, family time, and traditions.”
“He was the one who made pancakes, the guy who would venture out into the snow with the kids, the constant presence moving through the house as the day unfolded. Dementia doesn’t erase those memories,” she added. “However, it does create a gap between the past and the present. And that gap can be painful.”
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In September, Emma revealed the difficult news that Bruce had transitioned to a nearby single-story home with full-time caregivers. It was a heart-wrenching choice for her and her family, but it was a necessary step for the Die Hard star.
I will be making Bruce’s favorite pancakes for Christmas
In her blog, she mentioned that Bruce can no longer do the things he used to enjoy.
“I often find myself, in a light-hearted way, cursing Bruce’s name while I struggle with the holiday lights or take on tasks that were once his responsibility,” she shared. “Not out of anger, never that, but because I miss how he used to lead our holiday celebrations.”
“Yes, he taught me a lot, but I’m still entitled to feel a bit frustrated that this serves as yet another reminder of how things have shifted,” she added.
Emma went on to encourage her followers who are facing similar difficulties to accept change and create new memories.
“This holiday season, our family will still open gifts and gather for breakfast. But instead of Bruce making our beloved pancakes, I will take on that role,” she wrote.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Bruce Willis and his family. Please share his post to show your support.
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