Bruce Willis' wife talks about 'grief and sadness' on actor's birthday amid dementia diagnosis | Video

As Hollywood actor Bruce Willis turned a year older on Sunday, his wife Emma Heming Willis shared how hard it is to care for someone living with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which can often cause communication difficulties. In the emotional message, she spoke about feeling grief and sadness and also revealed that she started the morning of Willis' birthday by crying.

A month ago, the Die Hard actor's family announcedthat he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which can cause communication difficulties.

"So today is my husband's birthday. And, I have started the morning by crying, as you can see by my swollen eyes and snotty nose. I just think it's important that you see all sides of this,"Heming said in an Instagram reel posted on her verified account.

Meanwhile, in her continued effort to spread awareness about the realities of living with and caring for a family memberbattlingdementia,Heming revealed that there're days when she feels intense sadness and grief but she believes in putting her big girl pants on and getting on with it.

In the reel, she further said, "I always get this message where people always tell me, ‘Oh you’re so strong. I don’t know how you do it.’ I’m not given a choice. I wish I was but I’m also raising two kids in this."Heming has two daughters, Mabel, 10, and Evelyn, 8.

Heming added, "Sometimes in our lives, we have to put our big girl panties on and get to it, and that’s what I’m doing. But I do have times of sadness every day, grief every day and I’m really feeling it today on his birthday".

She also thanked everyone for sending her and Willis best wishes and love. "Today is one of those days of feeling the grief and sadness. But the silver lining or the flip side is that I’m so lucky to feel your warmth and love that is directed to my husband and our family. I see your messages, your stories that you share, and all I can say is thank you. Your connection helps me and I hope it helps you in a small way to know that I see you and I deeply understand your journey as well (sic)," the caption of the reel read.

FTD is an umbrella term used for a group of brain disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which are generally associated with personality, behaviour and language.

Teary-eyed Heming concluded the message by saying that she doesn't why she makes such videos as they are like a knife in her heart. "But as much as I do it for myself, I do it for you because I know how much you love my husband—don't cry, Emma—but it means so much to me. So thank you," she concluded.

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