Bruce Willis’ wife Emma celebrates their 14th wedding anniversary amid his crushing dementia diagnosis: ‘I woke up with my heart full’

Emma Heming Willis shared a poignant message with fans as she celebrated her 14th wedding anniversary to husband Bruce Willis following his crushing dementia diagnosis.

Posting a photo of a bouquet of flowers she received from a friend, Willis, 44, described waking up this morning with her ‘heart full’ as she reflected on the power of random acts of kindness on caregivers. 

‘Today marks 14 years of marriage to the greatest love of my life. I woke with my heart full but what my mind kept going back to was another persons act of kindness yesterday I wanted to share as it inspired the heck out of me,’ she began in the caption.

‘In passing at a school event for our children, I mentioned to my friend that our anniversary was tomorrow. Cut to, I get a text from my friend later that day that said she left “a little something” for me at my door. It was this sweet bouquet of flowers (pictured) with a note that said Happy Anniversary amongst other things.

‘It got me thinking about how hard these types of “special occasions” can be on caregivers. When usually our person would acknowledge the event, now their changing brains just can’t. And that is what it is.

‘So my point is this. If you know someone that is looking after someone else, don’t ask what you can do, just do. This random act of kindness will honestly stay with me for a long time.

‘I love you Juliya. You singlehandedly made this day special for us. #randomactsofkindness #gratitude #friendship.’

The wedding anniversary comes just two days after Bruce celebrated his 68th birthday, another milestone Emma struggled with.

Bruce marked turning 68 while surrounded by his children; Rumer, 34, Scout, 31, and Tallulah, 29 — his daughters with Demi Moore — as well as Mabel, 10, and Evelyn, eight, whom he shares with Emma. 

While the day appeared full of love and joy and featured the whole family celebrating together, Emma also was open and honest about the pain behind the joy too.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday morning, she admitted to ‘beginning the day by crying’ as she struggled with her husband’s health battle and devastating diagnosis.

In her video post, Emma said she felt particularly sad as she described making an Instagram Reel for Bruce – and called watching his videos ‘a knife in my heart.’

‘So today is my husband’s birthday,’ she began. ‘I have started the morning by crying. As you can see by my swollen eyes and snotty nose, I just think it’s important you see all sides of this.’

Partnership: Emma has been married to Willis since 2009 and they share two daughters together 

‘Don’t ask what you can do, just do’: Willis reflected on the power of random acts of kindness on caregivers in her post 

Emma went on to say: ‘I always get this message or people always tell me like, “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. 

‘So 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 everyday. And I’m really feeling it today on his birthday.’

She fought back tears in a second video describing the montage that she had been working on for Bruce.

‘So I worked on this reel that I’m posting for my husband’s birthday. I don’t know why I do that because the videos are like a knife in my heart.

‘But as much as I do it for myself I do it for you. Because I know how much you love my husband and – don’t cry Emma – but it means so much to me so thank you.’

Happy birthday! Bruce marked turning 68 while surrounded by his children; Rumer, 34, Scout, 31, and Tallulah, 29 — his daughters with Demi Moore — as well as Mabel, 10, and Evelyn, eight, whom he shares with Emma

Less than a year ago, Bruce retired from acting due to the brain disorder aphasia affecting his ability to understand language.

And in an update last month, the family explained that it had progressed and led to a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) affects the lobes of the brain behind the forehead, which deal with behaviour, problem-solving, planning and emotions.

While tough to take in, they admitted that it was a ‘relief to finally have a clear diagnosis’.