Retired last year after being diagnosed with aphasia, former actor Bruce Willis has received more bad news. His family, in a statement, informed that, due to the illness accused in March last year, he has frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just a symptom of the illness Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally come to a clear diagnosis.
Bruce Willis’ family in a statement to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration
Bruce Willis is 67 years old and one of the most successful actors in Hollywood. One of his biggest cinematic successes was the ‘Die Hard’ franchise. He was also celebrated alongside John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and directed by Quentin Tarantino in “Pulp Fiction”, “Armageddon” and in “The Sixth Sense”.
Willis was married twice: first to fellow actress Demi Moore, for 13 years, having three children: Rumer (who revealed his father’s new diagnosis), Tallulah, and Scout; and his current wife is model Emma Heming, with whom he has two other daughters (Evelyn and Mabel).
The former actor doesn’t have an Oscar, but he has won two Emmys: one for the series “Cat and Mouse” in 1987, and another for participation in “Friends” in 2000.
What is frontotemporal dementia (FTD)?
Dementia itself is the chronic, complete, and usually irreversible degeneration of a person’s cognition, leading to memory loss. FTD is responsible for 10% of dementia cases.
In general, it affects people between the ages of 55 and 65, and the incidence in men and women is similar. Among its features are severe atrophy, neuronal loss, gliosis and the presence of abnormal neurons (Pick cells, which also give the name to Pick’s disease FTD) containing inclusions (Pick bodies).
Half of FTD cases are hereditary, however, whether Bruce Willis’ family has such a tendency is unknown.
With information from g1 AND MSD Manual
The post in which Bruce Willis confirmed his dementia diagnosis first appeared on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
