Emma Heming, the wife of actor Bruce Willis, has shared an update on the clinical trial for frontotemporal dementia (FTD) that her husband was diagnosed with earlier this year. In a recent Instagram post, Heming shared a photo of Willis with their daughter and revealed that the clinical trial by Wave Life Sciences had ended without any results. While she acknowledged that the trial may not have been able to help Willis specifically, she expressed disappointment and described the news as a “gut punch.”
Heming went on to thank Wave Life Sciences, as well as the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation and AFTD, for their efforts in the Treat FTD Fund program. She also encouraged them to continue their work, build on their learnings, and not give up on the “loving community” affected by FTD.
The Willis Family’s Health Update
The Willis family first shared the news of Bruce’s diagnosis in February, revealing that his initial aphasia diagnosis had sadly worsened into a more specific diagnosis of FTD. In their joint Instagram post, the family expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support they had received and called FTD a “cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone.”
FTD is a form of dementia that is most common in people under 60, but getting a diagnosis can take years, making it likely more prevalent than currently known. There are currently no treatments for the disease.
A Blended Family
Willis will celebrate Father’s Day next month with his wife and their two daughters, as well as his former wife Demi Moore and their three grown daughters. Despite their 2000 divorce, Willis and Moore have maintained a close relationship and a blended family, with Heming and Moore also being close.
The ongoing clinical trial for FTD and ALS may not have yielded results for Willis and his family, but Heming’s message of gratitude and hope serves as a reminder of the importance of continued research and support for those affected by FTD.
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