bruce willis's wife emma reminds caregivers to take a break

the actor, 67, has aphasia , a condition that affects the part of the brain that controls language and speech. his family announced earlier this spring that his diagnosis meant he would be stepping back from acting. in addition to the three adult daughters willis shares with ex-wife demi moore, he and and heming willis also have two girls: mabel, 10, and evelyn, 8.

heming willis, 43, first spoke about the importance of prioritizing your own needs in an interview with parenting outlet the bump in may. while she didn’t specifically comment on her husband’s condition, she said she puts “my family’s needs above my own” and that she “struggle[s] with making the time for self-care every day.”

bruce willis and emma heming willis with their two daughters. (instagram / emma heming willis)

around the time the interview was published, part of her quote was shared on instagram by the nonprofit t he women’s alzheimer’s movement . “remember, you can’t fill from an empty cup,” the group wrote in the caption. “just as much care as you give to others, you must give care to yourself.”

(instagram / women’s alzheimer’s movement)

on june 7, heming willis re-shared the post on her instagram story, adding to her initial quote .

aphasia has ‘a devastating impact on human connection’

aphasia is an especially frustrating condition, where a person often has the ability to form complex thoughts but can’t express them. it can have “a devastating impact on human connection,” according to the aphasia institute .

heming willis has previously mentioned that she has a nanny, and given her success as a model and her husband’s long career as an actor, it seems fair to presume that their family has top-notch medical care and far more resources than the average couple. but even she struggles to make time for herself given her responsibilities as a caregiver — a fact that puts into perspective how difficult it must be for people without those kinds of resources.

nearly eight million canadians provide an average of 20 hours a week of care, often for family members who struggle to take care of themselves, due to disease, disability, or aging.

“it’s so easy for caregivers to feel a sense of loss in identity because they are caring for someone else,” terrence ho, 38, previously told healthing . ho has been caring for his younger brother torrance, who as duchenne muscular dystrophy, since childhood.