Bruce Willis’ dementia battle, health struggles shared by famous family through difficult year

Bruce Willis continues to put up a strong fight as he battles dementia.

The iconic Hollywood actor’s family initially shared a health update back in February, explaining that his aphasia diagnosis had "progressed" to frontotemporal dementia.

The 68-year-old actor's ex-wife, Demi Moore, revealed the diagnosis on social media with a heartfelt post, while his current wife Emma Heming, and his five daughters have also stood by his side every step of the way.

Here's a look back at how Willis has persevered through his yearlong dementia battle with unconditional love and support from his family.

On Feb. 16, Moore took to Instagram to provide a health update on Willis’ severe condition.

"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," Moore wrote. "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."

She added, "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."

FTD is "the result of damage to neurons in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain," according to the National Institute on Aging. "Many possible symptoms can result, including unusual behaviors, emotional problems, trouble communicating, difficulty with work, or difficulty with walking."

Willis has been married to Heming since March 2009, and the couple has two daughters, Mabel and Evelyn.

The "Die Hard" actor was previously married to Moore for 12 years, and the friendly exes have three daughters together: Rumer, Scout and Tallulah.

News of Willis’ initial health diagnosis with aphasia came a little over a week after his 67th birthday in March 2022.

His family announced he’s taking a break from acting since his condition impacted his ability to communicate.

"Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him," the family statement read.

It continued: "This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him."

Source: Foxnews.com