Their nine-year-old daughter has taken her education about her father’s illness into her own hands.
Emma Heming Willis, whose husband Bruce Willis is living with frontotemporal dementia, has shared a touching family update. Their nine-year-old daughter Evelyn has taken her education about her father’s illness into her own hands — with impressive (and adorable) results.
“So I have to tell you this story, and I’m going to try and do it without crying,” Emma said on Instagram stories. “Because when Evelyn told me this story, I was an absolute puddle.”
She said that Evelyn had asked her whether she knew that people with dementia can become “severely dehydrated.” Emma had replied she didn’t, and asked “how do you know that?”
Emma explained that Evelyn had some free time at school the other day, and had taken it upon herself to look up “fun facts about dementia,” and had even made a list to remember them.
“Now, that’s not funny, but it’s kind of funny,” Emma continued. “And she really is her father’s child because these two love some random facts. So I said to her, ‘Evelyn, we will always make sure daddy has a bottle of water in hand. Thank you for letting me know. But that is the most loving and compassionate thing that you can do is to be curious and educate yourself on your dad’s disease.’”
Emma went on to re-emphasize that one of the most important things that caregivers and family can do is learn as much as possible about their loved one’s disease, so they can “show up for them” the best way possible.
Emma herself has been extremely proactive since her husband’s diagnosis, and regularly shares conversations on her feed about the challenges of caregiving, and the need to be compassionate.
In a moving post for Bruce’s birthday in March, she wrote: “He is pure love. He is so loved. And I’ll be loving him always. Happy Birthday my sweet. 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.”
