SerpApi.Org
Bruce Willis made a rare public appearance on July 19 as he seemed in good spirits taking a casual car ride around Studio City, Los Angeles. The Hollywood star sat in the passenger seat during the hour-long ride before returning to his residence where he stays with his wife, Emma Heming Willis, and their children.
The 71-year-old has been rarely seen in public since 2022 when he retired from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia. This is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to speak, understand, read, and write.
However, in 2023, Bruce’s family revealed he had received a different diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. This rare form of dementia only affects around 2% of dementia patients according to Alzheimer’s Research.
- Mom in 'feral' house of horrors had 4 sets of twins in 3 years, including conjoined sisters who died
- Harrowing footage of mom of 16 'feral kids' cowering in jail after Ohio house of horrors arrest
The Die Hard star requires continuous care due to the condition and Emma has stepped up into the role, alongside a dedicated care team. Emma has also since become an outspoken advocate for frontotemporal dementia (FTD) awareness. She has been candid about the highs and lows of being a carer while raising their two young children.
Frontotemporal dementia
This specific form of dementia is caused by damage to cells in the temporal and frontal lobes. These areas of the brain control personality, emotions, behaviour, speech and understanding words.
Emma revealed in an interview for Town & Country that Bruce’s very first symptoms were initially dismissed as he’d had a “severe stutter” since he was a child but he was “good at covering it up”. When he started struggling with his speech, it just seemed like part of his stutter.
On some of Bruce’s final films, he reportedly struggled with memorising scripts, which allegedly saw his lines being cut down and earpieces to feed him lines according to the Los Angeles Times.
Alzheimer’s Research UK notes that early FTD symptoms can differ greatly from person-to-person. Unlike other types of dementia, memory problems or forgetfulness is usually not among the first signs patients will experience.
Symptoms can include behavioural changes like a sudden change in how a person expresses their feelings or understands other’s emotions. They may also become withdrawn, start making inappropriate jokes or behaving inappropriately or develop new beliefs and obsessions like shopping or gambling.
Their likes and dislikes, particularly over food, may also change. However, the charity warns that patients may not even realise their behaviour is changing.
Some language symptoms include:
- Difficulty making plans or following instructions
- Problems with speaking and understanding words
- Repeating words or phrases
- Struggling to say the right word or forgetting what it means
- Difficulty recognising people or knowing what objects are for
Alzheimer’s Research UK also notes that some people may develop movement problems that people would usually associate with motor neurone disease. This can include stiff or twitching muscles, muscle weakness and difficulty swallowing.
