Although we’re worlds apart on this morning in early spring – I’m in Bondi and Emma Heming Willis, wife of Bruce Willis, is in Los Angeles – there’s already an unspoken connection between us.
The parallels of our love stories are poignant, bittersweet and anchored in devotion.
Like me, Emma is in her late 40s. Our partners were both diagnosed with dementia.
Bruce is a seemingly unbreakable Hollywood leading man. Craig “Moose” Moore was my leading man too.
Above all else, though, we’re linked by something universal: a life lesson in unconditional love.
We are, in similar ways, talking about what has happened to us and to our partners, because we want people to hear our stories. To have the help and the understanding we missed out on. Emma has written a book about her experience; I have started a campaign, Think Again, to bring more focus to the insidious condition, dementia.
People think dementia belongs to another generation, it won’t happen to them, or it’s a normal part of ageing. Indeed, how can it be possible that dementia can touch a Hollywood icon, an action hero and someone so indestructible?
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW IN THE AUSTRALIAN HERE
But this brain disease does not discriminate – it can happen to anyone – much like my own partner Moose, who was diagnosed with dementia, later pinpointed as Alzheimer’s, in 2015, when he was 46 years old.
He was my romantic lead, just not the Hollywood kind. Moose was a talented advertising copywriter who lost his words. An ocean swimmer who became fearful of open water.
For Emma and me, it wasn’t meant to be like this.
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But sometimes, the darkest hours spark new beginnings. Emma has done something extraordinary – turning grief into a generous contribution.
In the midst of her pain, she decided to give back. Her book, The Unexpected Journey, is helping guide caregivers, or “care partners” as Emma prefers, to navigate the long, uncertain road of dementia.
Despite the unknown future, Emma has shown me that while grief is ever-present, so too is love, resilience and the will to keep fighting.
“It’s important for us to be talking about dementia. We need to learn how to support people with dementia, and their families, we need to learn how to lift them up,” Emma tells The Australian.
Read the full interview in The Australian here
The Unexpected Journey (HarperCollins, $34.99) by Emma Heming Willis is out now.
Louise Bryant is managing editor of The Australian’s Prestige titles, including Vogue Australia
