Bruce Willis’ daughter Rumer Willis loves every minutes she gets with her dad amid his dementia battle.
“What’s been interesting having a family member with dementia, it’s like, he’s happy. As well as someone could be doing, given the circumstances, he’s doing well,” she told PEOPLE. “When I get to see him, he sees me and [daughter] Louetta and he starts smiling. So, there’s so much love and joy and tenderness that still exists there. And in terms of that, I would say that’s a huge win. And the fact that we still have him, you know?”
Bruce was initially diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) in 2023.
“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,” Demi Moore, Bruce’s ex-wife and Rumer’s mom, said at the time, according to Fox News Digital. “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.”
“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),” she continued. “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.”
Dementia affects people differently, so Rumer is just grateful for every moment she can spend with her dad.
“The most important thing for me is that I’m so grateful that I have this time with him for however many years it may be,” she explained to PEOPLE. “I’m grateful that he seems generally wonderful and, given all of the givens of our situation, that our family is just so loving and together.”
Related: Bruce Willis Doesn’t Know He Has Dementia…and That’s a Good Thing
Because of her dad’s health issues, plus those of other family members, Rumer wanted to be proactive about her heath. She recently partnered with Function Health, a membership platform (roughly $499/year) that gives consumers access to 160+ lab tests and personalized protocols to track biomarkers over time — things like hormones, metabolic markers, heart health and more.
“I feel like sometimes we walk into a doctor’s office and it’s about a five-minute visit. How can you even begin to answer questions or even ask them when you only have that short amount of time?” she said of Function Health. “Function is just a perfect first step for anyone who wants to make an investment in their health and their longevity.”
“I wanna be as healthy as possible for as long as possible,” she emphasized. “I don’t think it’s really an option anymore to not be proactive about it.”
It seems like Rumer is making the most of the time she has with her dad.
Read Next: Bruce Willis is ‘Stable’ Amid Dementia Fight, Daughter Reveals
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