Bruce Willis’ wife was left heartbroken after their 9-year-old daughter asked her about her father’s condition.
Earlier this year, the Willis family revealed that the 68-year-old actor was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia or FTD.
“While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis,” they wrote.
“Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately,” Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, explained.
“We know in our hearts that – if he could today — he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.”
Emma, who shares two children with the actor and is also stepmom to his daughters, Tallulah, Scout and Rumer, has now shared how their daughters are coping with the diagnosis.
Taking to Instagram Stories, Emma told her followers: “So, I have to tell you this story…”
In her video, she revealed that Evelyn, 9, asked her a heartbreaking question about her dad’s condition.
“I’m gonna try and do it without crying because when Evelyn told me this story, I was an absolute puddle,” the mother says.
“Ok, here we go.
“So Evelyn says to me the other day, ‘Did you know that people with dementia can become severely dehydrated?’
“And I said, oh, I said, I didn’t know that.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, people with dementia are susceptible to becoming dehydrated “if they’re unable to communicate or recognize that they’re thirsty, or if they forget to drink.”
This can result in UTIs, headaches, and other serious conditions.
When Emma asked how Evelyn knew about that: “She says, ‘Well, I was at school the other day and she said, and I had some free time and I was looking up fun facts about dementia.’
“So I said to her, I said, ‘Ok, Evelyn, we will always make sure that daddy has a bottle of water in hand. Thank you for letting me know.’
“And I said, ‘But, you know, that is the most loving and compassionate thing that you can do is to be curious and educate yourself on your dad’s disease.’”
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