Bruce Willis’ family have announced that the actor has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) after his battle with aphasia.
The Hollywood icon, 67, retired from acting earlier this year as he began his battle with the illness that was causing his speech skills to deteriorate – with a joint statement from his family on Thursday announcing that his condition was “progressive”.
The statement released by his children, wife Emma Heming and ex-wife Demi Moore, on the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration website read: “Our family first wanted to express our deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love, support and wonderful stories we have all received since sharing Bruce’s original diagnosis.
“With that in mind, we wanted to give you an update on our beloved husband, father and friend as we now have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing.
“Since we announced Bruce’s aphasia diagnosis in Spring 2022, Bruce’s condition has improved and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD).
Devastating: Bruce Willis’ family have revealed the actor has now been diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) following his battle with a brain disorder, aphasia
“Unfortunately, communication difficulties are just a symptom of the illness Bruce is facing. While it’s painful, it’s a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.
“FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can affect anyone. In people under the age of 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and since it can take years to diagnose, FTD is probably much more common than we know.
“Today, there are no treatment options for the disease, a reality that we hope will change in the years to come. As Bruce’s condition progresses, we hope media attention can focus on shedding light on this disease, which requires much more awareness and research.
“Bruce has always believed in using his voice in the world to help others and raise awareness of 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 connection to those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it affects so many people and their families.
“Ours is just a family with a loved one suffering from FTD and we encourage others affected by it to seek the wealth of information and support that is available through AFTD (@theaftd, theaftd.org).
“And for those of you who have been fortunate enough not to have had personal experience with FTD, we hope that you will take the time to learn more about it and support AFTD’s mission in any way you can.
“Bruce has always found joy in life – and has helped everyone he knows do the same. It meant the world to see that sense of caring that reflects back on him and all of us.
Bruce Willis’ family said the star’s condition was “progressive”. FTD affects the brain lobes behind the forehead that deal with behavior, problem solving, planning and emotions (pictured in 2019 with LR daughter Rumer, ex Demi Moore, daughter Scout, wife Emma Heming and daughter Tallulah)
Willis and his wife Heming Willis also have two daughters, Mabel, nine, and Evelyn, seven, together
The Willis/Heming family statement in full
“As a family, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for the outpouring of love and compassion for Bruce over the past ten months. Your generosity has been overwhelming and we are very grateful for it. For your kindness, and because we know you love Bruce as much as we do, we wanted to give you an update.
“Since we announced Bruce’s aphasia diagnosis in Spring 2022, Bruce’s condition has improved and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD). Unfortunately, communication difficulties are just a symptom of the illness Bruce is facing. While it’s painful, it’s a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.
“FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can affect anyone. In people under the age of 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and since it can take years to diagnose, FTD is probably much more common than we know. Today there are no treatment options for the disease, a reality that we hope will change in the years to come. As Bruce’s condition progresses, we hope media attention can focus on shedding light on this disease, which requires much more awareness and research.’
Bruce has always believed in using his voice in the world to help others and raise awareness of important issues both publicly and privately. We know in our hearts that if he could today, he would want to respond by bringing global awareness and a connection with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it affects so many people and their families.
“Ours is just a family with a loved one suffering from FTD and we encourage others affected by it to seek the wealth of information and support that is available through AFTD (@theaftd, theaftd.org). And for those of you lucky enough not to have had personal experience with FTD, we hope you will take the time to learn more about it and support AFTD’s mission in any way you can.
“Bruce has always found joy in life – and has helped everyone he knows do the same. It meant the world to see that sense of caring that reflects back on him and all of us. We were so moved by the love you all shared for our dear husband, father and friend during this difficult time. Your continued compassion, understanding and respect will allow us to help Bruce live as full a life as possible.
-Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn
“We were so moved by the love you all shared for our dear husband, father and friend at this difficult time. Your continued compassion, understanding and respect will allow us to help Bruce live the fullest life possible.’
The statement was signed by Emma, Demi and his daughters Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn.
FTD affects the brain lobes behind the forehead that deal with behavior, problem solving, planning, and emotions.
The left temporal lobe is involved in the meaning of words and the names of objects. The right recognizes faces and familiar objects.
FTD occurs when nerve cells in these lobes die and the pathways of connection change.
The symptoms differ only from the memory loss that accompanies Alzheimer’s disease. This may include; personality changes such as tactlessness, disinterest in others, and unsympathetic, repetitive, and compulsive movements, such as B. continued use of certain phrases, hoarding and obsession with timekeeping, cravings for junk food and forgetting about table manners, speech difficulties including slow speech, grammatical errors, and asking about the meaning of familiar words such as “bread.”
FTD is rare, accounting for less than five percent of all dementia cases. However, it is one of the most common forms of the disease in people under the age of 65. Those affected are usually between 45 and 65 years old at the time of diagnosis.
The rate at which FTD progresses varies widely, with life expectancy ranging from two years to more than 10 years after diagnosis.
Bruce’s blended family released a joint statement in late March announcing that he was “retiring from the career that has meant so much to him.”
The statement revealed that he “has had some health issues and was recently diagnosed with aphasia, which is affecting his cognitive abilities.”
After the family went public with the news of Bruce’s retirement, fans flocked to social media to share their love for Bruce.
In November, Willis was reunited on screen with his former co-star John Travolta in the action-packed film Paradise City.
The film is one of the last Willis completed before his family announced in March that he was retiring from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia.
The film also marks the first major collaboration between Willis and Travolta since they starred in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 classic crime drama Pulp Fiction.
Willis plays an aging bounty hunter in Hawaii who takes on one of his most dangerous missions yet.
The family announced earlier this year that the legendary actor is retiring from show business as his disorder affects his ability to speak and understand language
After being shot and left for dead, his son Ryan (Blake Jenner) teams with his father’s former partner (Stephen Dorff) to hunt down his killers while dealing with a sadistic crime boss (Travolta).
WHAT IS FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA?
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) affects the brain lobes behind the forehead that deal with behavior, problem solving, planning, and emotions.
The left temporal lobe is involved in the meaning of words and the names of objects.
The right recognizes faces and familiar objects.
FTD occurs when nerve cells in these lobes die and the pathways of connection change.
The symptoms differ only from the memory loss that accompanies Alzheimer’s disease.
This can include:
- personality changes, e.g. B. tactless, disinterested in others, and unsympathetic
- Repetitive and compulsive movements, such as B. the continued use of certain phrases, hoarding and obsession with timekeeping
- Cravings for junk food and forgetting about table manners
- Speech difficulties, including slow speech, grammatical errors, and asking about the meaning of familiar words like “bread.”
FTD is rare, accounting for less than five percent of all dementia cases.
However, it is one of the most common forms of the disease in people under the age of 65.
Those affected are usually between 45 and 65 years old at the time of diagnosis.
The rate at which FTD progresses varies widely, with life expectancy ranging from two years to more than 10 years after diagnosis.
As it progresses and more parts of the brain become damaged, symptoms often resemble those of late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
This can include memory loss and patients who rely on others to care for them.
About 10 to 20 percent of FTD sufferers also have a motor disorder that affects their movement.
This can cause twitching, stiffness, slow movements, and loss of balance or coordination.
In later stages, such patients may have difficulty swallowing.
About a third of FTD patients have a family history of dementia.
And the condition is often caused by an inherited faulty gene from a patient’s parent.
Treatment focuses on helping a person live a good life by relieving their symptoms.
This may include counseling or a speech and language therapist.
Source: Alzheimer’s Society