Bruce Willis is celebrating his 71st birthday. The actor was celebrated by his loved ones, who shared moving tributes and photos, including his wife, Emma Heming Willis, who’s continuing her mission to raise awareness on dementia and the toll it takes on caregivers.
© WireImageBruce Willis retired from acting after revealing he was suffering from dementia
In a post shared on Instagram, Heming Willis shared a photo of Willis on vacation. The image shows him lying down on a couch aboard a yacht, with a stunning ocean view in the backdrop.
Willis wears a black sweater and an orange cap and is smiling at someone off camera. “Today we celebrate Bruce’s birthday,,” she captioned the post.
“This journey with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has opened my eyes to the realities so many families face. It’s what inspired me to create The Emma & Bruce Willis Fund to raise awareness of FTD, support research, and stand beside the caregivers who carry so much every day. If you’d like to honor Bruce today, please consider supporting the fund or another organization working in this space, or simply checking in on a caregiver — a small act of kindness that can mean so much.”
© @emmahemingwillisEmma celebrated Bruce’s birthday by spreading a message of awareness
Willis is the father of five children: Rumer, Tallulah, and Scout, whom he shares with Demi Moore, and Mabel and Evelyn, with Heming Willis. In 2022, he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a condition that evolves with the passage of time and takes a significant toll on family members.
Heming Willis journey as a caregiver
Over the past few years, Heming Willis has dived fully into the role of caregiver, inspiring her to write a book titled “The Unexpected Journey” for a demographic of people that is often disregarded and ignored.
© Getty ImagesThe actor is one of Hollywood’s biggest 90s icons
“Early on, I was very isolated, and it felt like what was happening was only happening to us,” she said in an interview with PEOPLE. “Over time, I realized it would be beneficial to talk about it and raise awareness so people get to the doctor sooner, can be diagnosed sooner, get into clinical trials.”
“I wrote the book that I wish someone had handed me on the day we received the diagnosis.”
© Getty Images for goopHe shares five daughers with Demi Moore and Emma Heming Willis