Emma Heming Willis delighted fans as she shared an emotional and inspiring milestone.
The entrepreneur, advocate and founder of Make Time Wellness took to Instagram to unveil the cover of “The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope and Yourself on the Caregiving Path,” a heartfelt guide shaped by her experiences as a caregiver to her husband, Bruce Willis, following his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis.
“I’m honored to share the cover of my first book,” Emma wrote in a joint Instagram post with her publisher. “Born from grief, shaped by love and guided by purpose, this is the book I needed back when Bruce was first diagnosed and I was frozen with fear and uncertainty.”
Emma and Bruce, who married in 2009, share two daughters, Mabel Ray, 13, and Evelyn Penn, 10. Bruce is also father to three daughters from his previous marriage to Demi Moore: Rumer, 36, Scout, 33, and Tallulah, 31.
Emma has remained fiercely protective of her blended family, and in the wake of Bruce’s diagnosis, she has emerged as a voice of strength and compassion for caregivers around the world.
“This is the book I trust will help the next caregiver,” she continued in her caption. “It is filled with support, insight and the hope needed to navigate this journey. This book is for all of us finding our way through the unknown with love, grit and courage. You are not alone.”
In a moving statement shared by publisher The Open Field, Emma expanded on what led her to write the book.
“For me, knowledge is power, and building a supportive community around me has been vital. It has brought stability and a certain amount of control back, control that was completely shattered when the diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia first came into our family’s world.”
She continued, “Dementia not only affects your loved one but can shake a whole family’s foundation and self, if you allow it. Identifying the right resources to educate and enlighten myself has been powerful and has allowed me the space to continue to move forward in the most positive way so that I can be the best mother, wife, daughter, friend and care partner. I want to be able to share that with the next person who finds themselves here.”
Bruce’s health battle
Bruce, 69, was first diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder that affects communication, in 2022. At the time, his family shared a statement announcing he would be stepping away from acting.
In early 2023, his condition progressed, and his loved ones confirmed he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a rare and debilitating brain disease.
Since then, Emma has candidly documented her caregiving journey and spoken about the emotional toll the disease has taken on her family.
The forthcoming book, which is set for release on September 9, is already available for preorder.
Read the full article here