Bruce Willis' daughter pens a touching message for her father

The Willis family's journey through the labyrinth of dementia continues to unfold, with Bruce Willis' eldest daughter, Rumer, sharing a poignant update that has touched the hearts of many.

The 35-year-old actress took to social media to express her longing for her father, who is battling frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a condition that has forced him to step away from his illustrious acting career.


Rumer's heartfelt post featured a throwback photo of her as a baby, cradled in the arms of her 'papa'.

'Really missing my papa today', she wrote in her post. This resonated with many who are familiar with the heart-wrenching journey of dementia.


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Rumer Willis shared a photo of her and her father, Bruce, on social media. Image source: Instagram/@rumerwillis.


Her sister, Tallulah, responded by saying: 'Love you sister.'

The Willis family shared Bruce's diagnosis in February 2023, a year after announcing that the Die Hard star was stepping away from acting due to aphasia, a language disorder.


The family's openness about Bruce's condition has sparked a wave of support and empathy from many.

'Hugs. It’s an odd [feeling], kind of hard to miss someone who is still here. Dementia is a cruel beast,' one said.

'With dementia, grief begins so much earlier and lasts longer because you start grieving the loss before they are physically gone,' another shared.

Bruce Willis' three adult daughters—Rumer, Tallulah, and Scout—along with his wife, Emma Heming Willis, have been sharing frequent updates about Bruce’s condition.

Bruce and Emma are parents to two girls, Mabell (11) and Evelyn (8).

Emma has also been at the forefront of raising awareness about FTD, a rare form of dementia that affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which can cause behavioural problems, difficulty with communication, and difficulty walking.

Her advocacy efforts have been supported by the extended Willis family, including Bruce's ex-wife, Demi Moore.


In a recent interview, Emma shared: 'Him and our girls, who are watching—I got the whole family watching—they’re rooting [for me].'

'I’m here to raise awareness but [also to] make them proud.'

Despite how 'painful' it was to see her husband suffer from dementia, she and the family tried to focus on the 'beautiful' side of things.

'It’s just really important to me to look up from the grief and the sadness so I can see what is happening around us,' Emma said.

'Bruce would really want us to be in the joy of what is. He would really want that for me and our family.’

Emma remains committed to destigmatising dementia and educating her children about their father's condition.

'The most important thing was to be able for us to say what the disease was, explain what it is, because when you know what the disease is from a medical standpoint, it sort of all makes sense,' she added.

'So it was important that we let (our children) know what it is because, you know, I don’t want there to be any stigma or shame attached to their dad’s diagnosis or for any form of dementia.'

Emma's candidness about the family's journey has been a source of inspiration for many, including her stepdaughter Scout LaRue, who expressed her admiration for Emma's bravery on social media.

'I’m tearing up right now thinking about how much I love you and how brave you are.'

Our thoughts go out to the Willis family as they continue to navigate this challenging journey. Their openness and resilience serve as a beacon of hope for others facing similar circumstances.
Key Takeaways
  • Bruce Willis' oldest child, Rumer, shared an emotional message on social media addressing her father's ongoing dementia battle.
  • In 2023, Willis' family disclosed his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), following an earlier announcement in 2022 that he had to retire from acting due to a language disorder, aphasia.
  • Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, has taken an active stance to raise awareness of FTD
Have you or a loved one been affected by dementia? Share your experiences and thoughts on this story in the comments below.
 
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I had no idea what was causing his actions.? Drs said it was schizophrenia and what upset me was the drugs they were pushing into him. Some of them caused glaucoma,and Parkinson’s. I believe if the radiologist had read the xrays properly it would have been diagnosed earlier. Some of the weirdest things he would say was, I was hiding boyfriends in the wardrobes ,he would see people walking through the house in the dark ,chase people who came to visit and the list goes on.He would tell our Dr these things also hear voices etc. it was a nightmare to live with. Ezzy ,I feel so sorry for others who have to cope with loved ones with these types of illness and what it does to their mental health and there was no government help, you had to cope by yourself.
This was a real nightmare for you Leenie & l can see you had no escape & possibly wouldn't want to escape because marriage is for life. In your situation my concern would be how he would cope on his own.
My friend's husband has pleaded with her not to put him into a Nursing home.

X-rays are important when making a determination & it sounds like Drs were doing a lot of guessing about your husband's condition & making his health worse with medications. I can see in my mind what he was doing in those situations you mentioned. Very sad & scary too. Even sadder, as you mentioned, was lack of Govt. assistance & nothing has changed for people today in different situations, unable to work but still have to fight Red tape issues.

Can l ask how long ago your husband passed & also how are you now?
Have you been able to get your life back to some sort of normality & find some enjoyment in living Leenie?
 
@Ezzy, it was a nightmare, you don’t leave the person you love 💕 when 🤒 illness strikes, it is now 11 yrs since Ray passed , it took a long time to get some semblance in my life and am now on the path to living a peaceful and happy 😃 and contented as I am able. I could leave him to get groceries,but was always aware of how long I was gone. My family and 2 Grand kids are always fussing and I tell them not to wrap me in cotton wool as I can handle most things ,if I need help I will let them know. At the time he passed I was going through aggressive stage 3 breast cancer, it just proves what stress does to your health. Now I am having heart problems ,as they say you can’t keep a good man down or should I sayWOMAN in my case.l have told my GP I intend to live to a 100 .i might be pushing it a little but you have to have a goal in life. It’s a pity we all live too far from our forum friends ,or we could all meet up and have a party 🥳 to celebrate . Happy times are ahead. Thank you. My friend.
 
@Ezzy, it was a nightmare, you don’t leave the person you love 💕 when 🤒 illness strikes, it is now 11 yrs since Ray passed , it took a long time to get some semblance in my life and am now on the path to living a peaceful and happy 😃 and contented as I am able. I could leave him to get groceries,but was always aware of how long I was gone. My family and 2 Grand kids are always fussing and I tell them not to wrap me in cotton wool as I can handle most things ,if I need help I will let them know. At the time he passed I was going through aggressive stage 3 breast cancer, it just proves what stress does to your health. Now I am having heart problems ,as they say you can’t keep a good man down or should I sayWOMAN in my case.l have told my GP I intend to live to a 100 .i might be pushing it a little but you have to have a goal in life. It’s a pity we all live too far from our forum friends ,or we could all meet up and have a party 🥳 to celebrate . Happy times are ahead. Thank you. My friend.
Thankyou for taking time to share with me & too other members on the SDC site who may have followed our writings. Telling someone about events like this is not easy face to face & more difficult with a stranger you can not see. You are a inspiration. We tend to put our loved ones needs before our own, don't we? Possibly something young people wouldn't understand today. If something is too hard someone bails out & seeks a divorce or a relationship outside the marriage. The experience must have been horrendous for you when Ray passed & you had a personal battle of your own with breast cancer, but you soldiered on.

I knew of several people both males & females who worked (as l did at the time) in the W.A. Prison Service who had cancer in different parts of their body. Yes stress can do awful things to us as you know.

I can understand family & Grandchildren acting as they do because you have been through so much. You have however proved you are a survivor & through will power are doing o.k. under your own terms. If you can live through those awful years & still be with us today l pray you do reach your goal to live to 100 years of age. If you do, would you consider inviting me to your party, please.

I had a friend in a nursing home a few years ago & didn't want to see Christmas but did & was surprised when my wife & l kept my promise & visited him on Christmas Day. "You came to see me" he said, rather surprised. I replied saying, "l told you l would". He lived to see 100 years months later, but lived in a lot of pain too. He used to get about 3 visitors a week, including myself. Not even his daughter would visit.

I would dearly love to get together with friends like yourself who've had meaningful conversations here.
Happy times are ahead for us all my dear friend. I look forward to seeing comments from you on here from time to time on other subjects too. Happy Christmas to you & your family @ Leenie.
 
Thankyou for taking time to share with me & too other members on the SDC site who may have followed our writings. Telling someone about events like this is not easy face to face & more difficult with a stranger you can not see. You are a inspiration. We tend to put our loved ones needs before our own, don't we? Possibly something young people wouldn't understand today. If something is too hard someone bails out & seeks a divorce or a relationship outside the marriage. The experience must have been horrendous for you when Ray passed & you had a personal battle of your own with breast cancer, but you soldiered on.

I knew of several people both males & females who worked (as l did at the time) in the W.A. Prison Service who had cancer in different parts of their body. Yes stress can do awful things to us as you know.

I can understand family & Grandchildren acting as they do because you have been through so much. You have however proved you are a survivor & through will power are doing o.k. under your own terms. If you can live through those awful years & still be with us today l pray you do reach your goal to live to 100 years of age. If you do, would you consider inviting me to your party, please.

I had a friend in a nursing home a few years ago & didn't want to see Christmas but did & was surprised when my wife & l kept my promise & visited him on Christmas Day. "You came to see me" he said, rather surprised. I replied saying, "l told you l would". He lived to see 100 years months later, but lived in a lot of pain too. He used to get about 3 visitors a week, including myself. Not even his daughter would visit.

I would dearly love to get together with friends like yourself who've had meaningful conversations here.
Happy times are ahead for us all my dear friend. I look forward to seeing comments from you on here from time to time on other subjects too. Happy Christmas to you & your family @ Leenie.
If I make to a 100 you will definitely get an invite. I will be 88 in January and love 💕 the friends we have made on the forum. Happy 😃 Xmas to you and your loved ones @Ezzy ,God bless.
 
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If I make to a 100 you will definitely get an invite. I will be 88 in January and love 💕 the friends we have made on the forum. Happy 😃 Xmas to you and your loved ones @Ezzy ,God bless.
Thank you & may God bless you too. I believe everything happens for a purpose & l value the friendships made here. As l will be 72 in February, 12 years is not long to wait for that special invitation. 💞
 
Thank you & may God bless you too. I believe everything happens for a purpose & l value the friendships made here. As l will be 72 in February, 12 years is not long to wait for that special invitation. 💞
I am hoping we will be able to meet and looking forward to the day ,one day at a time.
 
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