Bruce Willis celebrates 68th birthday with family after dementia diagnosis
Bruce Willis' family share a video as they celebrate the actor's first birthday since he announced he has frontotemporal dementia, as ITV News' Sangeeta Kandola reports.
Bruce Willis has celebrated his 68th birthday surrounded by his loved ones, a month after his family announced he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
In a video posted by his ex-wife Demi Moore, the Hollywood star can be seen singing happy birthday alongside with his children, Moore, and his wife Emma Heming before blowing out the candles on an apple pie.
Ghost actress Moore, 60, wrote alongside the Instagram post: “Happy birthday, BW! So glad we could celebrate you today. Love you and love our family.
“Thank you to everyone for the love and warm wishes – we all feel them.”
Heming, 44, also shared a montage on Instagram which featured clips of her husband spending time with his family and playing with his children.
“He is pure love. He is so loved. And I’ll be loving him always. Happy Birthday my sweet”, she captioned the post.
“My birthday wish for Bruce is that you continue to keep him in your prayers and highest vibrations because his sensitive Pisces soul will feel it.
“Thank you so much for loving and caring for him too.”
In a prior video, the model admitted she had begun the day by crying as his birthday was an occasion she was finding particularly challenging, but she said she wanted to show all sides to caring for a loved one with dementia.
“Today is one of those days of feeling the grief and sadness. But the silver lining or the flip side is that I’m so lucky to feel your warmth and love that is directed to my husband and our family”, she wrote.
“I see your messages, your stories that you share, and all I can say is thank you.“Your connection helps me and I hope it helps you in a small way to know that I see you and I deeply understand your journey as well.”
Last year, the family of Willis – who starred in hit films including the Die Hard series, Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, Moonrise Kingdom, 12 Monkeys and Looper – said that he would be “stepping away” from his long acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition affecting his cognitive abilities.
In a post shared on Instagram last month, his relatives offered an update on his health, confirming his condition had “progressed” and he had been given the “more specific” diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Willis has five daughters, sharing his three eldest – Rumer, Scout and Tallulah – with Moore whom he married in 1987. Despite separating in 2000, the pair remain on amicable terms.
Willis went on to marry actress Heming in 2009. The pair share two daughters, Mabel and Evelyn.
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