Bruce Willis' wife given 'lifeline' as she shares 'fantastic' update

Emma Heming Willis is in a celebratory mood after sharing a new update on Tuesday, which fans have dubbed "fantastic."

The 47-year-old revealed that huge strides have been made to bring more awareness to frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which her husband, Bruce Willis, suffers from.

Emma shared photos of herself visiting the California State Capitol to witness state legislators pass a resolution to create a new awareness week for frontotemporal dementia.

The author and members of the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) watched as the California Legislature designated September 21-27 as Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) Awareness Week.

FTD Awareness Week

Sharing several photos on Instagram, Emma penned: "We are grateful to the California Legislature for recognizing FTD Awareness Week; September 21st-27th and to the elected officials who made this possible."

She then named and thanked all the legislators and co-sponsors "who came together across party lines for this important bipartisan moment."

Emma added: "This resolution is more than symbolic, it's a lifeline of recognition for every family touched by FTD."

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Her followers appeared to be just as happy about the news, with one commenting: "Fantastic." A second said: "It's happening!!" A third added: "Wow," and a fourth wrote: "Stellar."

Emma has been Bruce's carer since he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in early 2023, after previously stepping away from acting due to aphasia, a disorder that affects speech and language comprehension.

The Unexpected Journey

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Emma is now an advocate for people suffering from FTD and their families, and she has written a memoir, The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path, which will be released September 9.

The book is "a deeply personal and richly compassionate supportive guide that helps caregivers care for themselves while they navigate a loved one's dementia."

Emma revealed that when Bruce was diagnosed, they "left the doctor's office with a pamphlet and a hollow goodbye. No plan, no guidance, no hope, just shock."

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Her upcoming book is one "she wishes she'd been handed on the day of Bruce's diagnosis: a supportive guide to navigating the complicated, heartbreaking, and transformative experience that is caregiving for your loved one," according to the press release.

It continued: "Weaving her personal journey as a care partner with the latest research and insights from the world's top dementia, caregiving, and integrative experts, she offers the guidance and wisdom caregivers everywhere so desperately need to hear."

The guidance includes, "A diagnosis isn't just a label, it's a starting point. It helps you better understand your person's behavior and respond with more clarity and compassion.

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"Taking care of yourself is not optional; it's mandatory. It will make you a better care partner. It's not selfish, it's self-preserving. You don't have a choice about being on the dementia caregiving journey. But you do have a choice in terms of how you approach it and reframe it."

It added: "Caregivers are human, so you aren't always going to be patient and selfless. You have challenges and struggle with conflicting emotions, and that's okay.

"Ultimately, The Unexpected Journey shows you how to care for yourself while doing one of the hardest, most heartbreaking jobs in the world."