Bruce Willis’s ‘Untreatable’ Disease Leads to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Ex-Wife Maria Shriver Making a Stern Request to World: “Please Respect”

Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s friend and The Expendables co-star Bruce Willis has recently been diagnosed with a rare disease called frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The news was shared by Willis’s family, who took to Instagram to spread the word. As support started pouring in from friends and fans, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ex-wife, Maria Shriver, didn’t stay far behind.

Maria Shriver has always been on-point with her philanthropic work, especially for her trailblazing advocacy in spreading awareness of Alzheimer’s disease. Willis’s disease is a rare kind of dementia that many aren’t aware of. Keeping this in mind, while showing her support for the grieving family, Shriver expressed her gratitude for educating people about the disease. Here is more diving into it.

Maria Shriver urges fans to empathize with the Willis-Moore family

Hours after the news of Bruce Willis’ life-threatening illness broke out, Maria Shriver took to Twitter to share her thoughts. Along with her message, Shriver shared screenshots of the post shared by Willis’ ex-wife, Hollywood actress Demi Moore. In her tweet, Shriver wrote, “My heart goes out to Bruce Willis and his family, & also my gratitude for shining a much needed light on this disease.”

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Being a celebrity comes with its own set of privacy crises. Shriver understands that more than the next fellow. She penned further, “This family deserves our support on the days ahead, as does every family dealing with Alzheimer’s & dementia, & every caregiver working 24/7 on the frontlines of humanity. I also hope prying photographers will not chase this man and his family. Please respect their journey ahead,” Shriver added.

The philanthropist wove in the importance of taking the lead, in sharing information about a rare disease. Shriver believes it is thorny when people get a rough diagnosis. Given the difficult circumstances, learning a thing or two about FTD is a necessary undertaking.

What is FTD?

Frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, is a rare disease that affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, causing them to shrink. The disease affects the movement, personality, balance, and communication abilities of the patient. While it is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s, FTD is not the same.

Unlike Alzheimer’s, FTD occurs at a much younger age. It can be found in people as young as 45 years old. The life expectancy in FTD is six to eight years. While the symptoms of this disease as similar to that of Alzheimer’s, the drugs used in the latter are not as effective when it comes to FTD. Instead, in some cases rather than slowing down, these drugs have worsened the symptoms. As of today, there is no cure for this brain disease.

Maria Shriver’s father passed away from Alzheimer’s disease in 2003. Since then, she has taken various initiatives to help the affected and their families. Shriver’s words of wisdom are a fundamental, and necessary reminder. 

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