Bruce Willis and Emma Heming have celebrated their 17th anniversary as a married couple. Amid Willis' aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnoses, Heming describes feeling a "heaviness" in her heart during these difficult times. However, she continues to feel unconditional love for her husband, and she is willing to experience these hurdles time and time again for him.
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Heming shared a picture of her and Willis during a lovely sunset, with water above their knees. "Anniversaries used to bring excitement — now, if I'm honest, they stir up all the feelings, leaving a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach," she wrote in the Instagram post. "I give myself 30 minutes to sit in the 'why him, why us,' to feel the anger and grief."
"Then I shake it off and return to what is. And what is... is unconditional love," she continued. "I feel blessed to know it, and it's because of him. I'd do it all over again and again in a heartbeat."
Many users, who have previously expressed their joy to receive updates from Bruce Willis, were left in awe and admiration after reading Heming's words.
"Thank you for showing us unconditional love in a day where so many marriages only last a very short time, a blink of an eye," one user wrote. "The most beautiful example of love and class and dedication!" a second user wrote. A third user said: "True love. Its amazing that Bruce Has your love."
Dealing With Aphasia And FTD
In an interview with Town & Country, Emma Heming was able to share more about her relationship with Bruce. Especially, how his health issues changed her and her husband's relationship. For Heming, Bruce's diagnosis has moved her to help raise awareness about the diseases.
"There is no treatment, which is why I'm out there raising awareness, so that they can see that we have some agency in this," Heming told the outlet. "I'm not going to allow FTD to take our whole family down. Bruce wouldn't want that. They're going to see me fight for our family, have some hope, and help the next family out there."
On a more personal level, Heming reflects that Bruce's health status has helped her take the steering wheel more often. "I'm a rule follower type, and Bruce is the opposite of that. I've learned so much from him about how to be able to use your voice and do good," Heming said. "This is bigger than me, and as Bruce would say, 'You gotta get outta your own way, Emma.'"
