Photo:Larry Busacca/Getty
Larry Busacca/Getty
Emma Heming Willislearned an essential lesson fromTony BennettaboutAlzheimer’s Disease, that an artist could “continue to flourish” in the face of “cognitive challenges.”
After the legendary singerdied at the age of 96on Friday, the model and wife ofBruce Willisreflected on what she will remember most about their friendship.
“An evening spent with Tony and Susan was the best NY date night one could ever ask for,” she shared next to photos of her and her husband, 68, with Bennett and his wife,Susan Benedetto, onInstagram. Heming Willis, 45, added that Bennett had a “kind, graceful, and gentle demeanor” and his talent inspired “awe and admiration.”
She reflected on howBennett’s 2016 Alzheimer’s disease diagnosisimpacted his career, noting that “he continued to dazzle and elicit nothing but joy and excitement.”
“It was a beautiful reminder that we should never allow society to dictate or dismiss anyone because of their cognitive challenges but instead to continue to flourish,” Heming Willis added, sharing that it is something that “has and will forever be so meaningful and impactful to me.”
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Heming Willis' husband wasdiagnosed with frontotemporal dementiain February. WhileFTD is often confused with Alzheimer’s Disease, FTD is an all-encompassing term for a group of brain disorders that threatens thefrontal and temporal lobes of the brain.
Since theDie Hardstar’s diagnosis, Heming Willis has dedicated her time toraising awareness about brain health.
“I am going to turn my grief and my anger and my sadness and do something good around something that feels less than,” sheshared in a videoposted to her Instagram page in March. “So, watch this space because I didn’t come to play.”
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After creating a supplement brand that focuses on brain health in women’s wellness routines in May, she told PEOPLE thatit has become her “new purpose.”
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“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,” she said. “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.”
source: people.com
