The model-actress has been vocal about supporting her husband since his frontotemporal dementia diagnosis.
Bruce Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, is finding purpose in her pain. On Thursday, the 44-year-old model announced that she has started a wellness brand, Make Time Wellness, focused on brain health. The venture comes a year after Emma and Bruce's family announced he was diagnosed with aphasia and four months after the family revealed that he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Since sharing the heartbreaking news, Emma has taken to social media to share the candid reality of life with the Die Hard actor, as his condition worsens and she has taken on the caretaker role. In an interview with People, Emma admits that a "fire's been lit" for her to raise awareness about brain conditions and ways people can act to decrease the likelihood of them happening.
Emma, who shares Evelyn, 8, and Mabel, 10, with Willis, says that she was suffering from bouts of brain fog and short term memory loss. The actress reveals that she never considered the impact taking care of your brain has on the rest of your body.
"We always talk about breast health or heart health, but brain health was just something that I had never heard of," she tells the outlet. "My brain was suffering, and I could feel it. Why is the focus on the rest of our body when really our brain is our biggest asset and the one that we should be really looking after? I found that when you put your brain first and when you are taking care of your brain, your whole body benefits."
Make Time Wellness launched with a series of drink powders and vitamins for women.
Emma also notes that she became much more aware of the impact of brain health while caring for her husband, and while it's sad, she's grateful to help raise awareness and create something that will help people take early action and bring awareness to dementia.
"For me, it's really about connecting to a community and being open and able to talk about dementia and to take away that stigma that there is no shame around it," she says. "I'm learning through the process."
She adds, "I'm able to call an expert and speak to some of the most incredible doctors. So I guess I have a new purpose, and I'm so excited that I'm able to share what I'm learning with everyone. It's like a fire's been lit. It's my new purpose and here I am. I hate that it's me. I wish it wasn't, but you know what? I'm not going to be quiet. I am going to use my voice and through action, awareness and conversation, that creates change."
Bruce's family announced his FTD diagnosis, nearly a year after revealing that the actor was struggling with aphasia, a condition that affects communication. Dr. Allison Reiss, an Alzheimer's Foundation of America's Medical, Scientific and Memory Screening Advisory Board Member told ET, "It's a group of diseases that have the common factor that the brain loses brain cells, brain cells die [and there is] neuro degeneration. We don't understand why, but they die in specific areas."
Emma has remained optimistic and has continued to celebrate her husband. In March, she got candid about feeling a bit of grief on her husband's 68th birthday. However, Bruce was surrounded by his family for the occasion. Emma also shared a sweet video featuring Bruce in honor of their wedding anniversary.
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