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BRUCE WILLIS HAS been diagnosed with dementia, his family has announced.
Relatives of the 67-year-old Hollywood actor previously said that he would be “stepping away” from his successful career after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition affecting his cognitive abilities.
In a post shared on Instagram today, Willis’s daughter Rumer offered an update on her father’s health, confirming his condition has “progressed” and he had been given the “more specific” diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia.
Rumer, who Willis shares with his former partner, actress Demi Moore, wrote: “Our family wanted to start by expressing our deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love, support and wonderful stories we have all received since sharing Bruce’s original diagnosis.
“In the spirit of that, we wanted to give you an update about our beloved husband, father and friend since we now have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing.
“Since we announced Bruce’s diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce’s condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD).
“Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”
According to the NHS, frontotemporal dementia is an “uncommon” form of the disease that causes the sufferer problems with behaviour and language, and mostly affects those between the ages of 45 and 65.
Willis’ family further explained the condition in an extended statement on the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration website in which they acknowledged frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a “cruel disease” and “can strike anyone”.
The family added that they hoped media attention on the actor’s condition would raise awareness.
“FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone,” their statement read.
“For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know.
“Today there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead.
“As Bruce’s condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research.”
They added: “Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately.
“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.”
The statement was signed from members of Willis’ family including his wife Emma Heming, former wife Moore and his daughters.
Willis has starred in hit films including the Die Hard series, Pulp Fiction, Armageddon, Moonrise Kingdom, 12 Monkeys and Looper.
He 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.
Following the news of Willis’s diagnosis, charity Dementia UK said: “We’re sorry to hear that Bruce has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
“By choosing to speak publicly about his diagnosis, more awareness can be raised about FTD and hopefully it will encourage others to seek advice if they are experiencing concerns about their brain health.
“FTD is the third most common form of dementia in people under the age of 65 but there is still limited awareness of it among the public and health and social care professionals. This can impact negatively on the care that people living with the condition receive.”
Over the course of his career, Willis has been highly commended for many performances, receiving multiple award nominations including five Golden Globes, of which he won one, and three Primetime Emmys, of which he won two.
In 2006, he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in Los Angeles.
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I’m sure that they will soon ‘turn the corner’ and be on the road to recovery….. oh wait
Perhaps Obama should ask Enda Kenny. He’ll know what to do.
America is well on the way to recovery. They have had reasonable growth for about 2 years now. Their debt levels are falling and long term it is going down quiet fast.
The Euro zone hasn’t even ended from the 2007 collapse.
Damn it why do I for once agree with seanie. Must be a blue moon tonight
Singapore instructing its banks to hold liquid assets for upcoming “crises”.
America is simply not on it’s way to recovery Seanie. The numbers just don’t add up with regards to their official inflation figures. The books are being cooked like never before
Worrying how quickly the euro follows the dollar..
That’s because the dollar is currently the worlds reserve currency & all other fiat currencies are pegged to it after the gold standard was abolished. The dollar goes & everything else goes with it. The BRIC countries have been buying up huge quantities of gold over the last few years because they can see what’s coming around the corner. A massive economic collapse unlike anything ever seen is on the horizon.
“The wavelike movement affecting the economic system, the recurrence of periods of boom which are followed by periods of depression, is the unavoidable outcome of the attempts, repeated again and again, to lower the gross market rate of interest by means of credit expansion.
There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved.”
Ludwig von Mises
The monetary system in place at the moment is not just based on constant growth in order to function, it is based on exponential growth. If you don’t understand this then google exponential growth and you will see how the current world economy cannot and will not survive a collapse before the end of 2015
A 3% contraction is enormous.
If this continues Hilary won’t meet the landslide she expected..
They will turn the corner but don’t forget the new shoots and all the BS we were fed send in the Troika they will do a job on them. karma!!!!
One word sums up the disaster that is facing the USA..Obama
The country has been deceived by the Devil…
Who would your vote go to Frank?
Feel free to explain your xenophobic comment towards one democratically elected politician in a country with a population of over 300 million…go
Jereme…..There is a serious problem about voting in America…
Frank, would you prefer the Cons be in power rather than the Dems?
that’s the problem Stan, a false dichotomy, they just play ping-pong every 4/8 years and share similar goals.
4 years is about the memory spam of the average voter, world wide.
“span”, obviously.
Freudian, perhaps.
Stan Smith … same crap … just different piles..
What’s your answer Frank?
Who would you vote for?
(Remembering there won’t be a brown skinned one to draw your ire next time),
Jeremy Usborne are you trying to hit me with the race card?
The race card has certainly not let away him with his filthy lies, murder and back tracking.
There is very little choice ahead of us between that other psychopath Hillary Clinton.. But I would not put a pass on it if Obama gets in the 3rd time by appealing the 22 amendment..
How about this Jeremy…I’d vote for Condeleeza Rice in a heartbeat. Go ahead and throw the race card…just understand that you sound like a clueless dolt when you do…
The Tea Billies are going to have a field day with that news
And all the while the 3 major US indices surge ahead. A cynic might almost think it’s all being caused by near hyperinflation and is not actually representative of any gains at all in real terms; thank god I’m not a cynic.
” You have heard inflation reduced to the phrase, “too much money chasing too few goods.” It is an overly narrow definition. Inflation is too much money. What the redundant increment of purchasing power chooses to chase is variable but always mischievous. It varies from cycle to cycle.
In one market interval, the dollars may chase skirts — or toothpaste or automobiles. This is inflation at the checkout counter, the familiar CPI variety. Or the dollars may chase stocks — or bonds or Iowa farmland. On Wall Street, where I work, this is the kind of inflation known as a “bull market,” and most of us cheer it on. The inflation of asset values is the kind of inflation that is prevalent today.”
James Grant
This is worrying , hopefully not a sign of things to come .
Thanks Obama
How long till Hillary is on MSNBC blaming the Republicans?
The bill for those Obamphones has just come in.
Push, push!
Im here in Boston, and i can tell you, its getting worse!
have your say