Emma Heming Willis was recently honored by Maria Shriver’s Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement (WAM) at Cleveland Clinic, receiving the organization’s Caregiving Award for her “outstanding work in advocating for unpaid family caregivers.” 

The awards were part of an educational and advocacy luncheon in Las Vegas, held May 19,  to raise awareness for two critical women’s health issues: Alzheimer’s disease and family caregiving, both of which disproportionately impact women.  

Mrs. Willis, the wife of Bruce Willis, has been a tireless FTD advocate since she and her family announced the actor’s diagnosis in February 2023.  

In her remarks, she recalled the beginning of her family’s FTD journey. “On the day Bruce got his diagnosis, we left the doctor’s office with a pamphlet and a hollow goodbye. No plan, no guidance, no hope, just shock,” she said. “The future we imagined simply vanished, and I was left trying to hold my family together, raise our two young daughters, and care for the man I love while navigating a disease I barely understood. 

“I needed someone to look me in the eye and say, ‘This feels impossible right now, but you will find your footing. You will survive this and you will grow because of it,” she said.  

She acknowledged the access she had to brain disorder expertise because of her husband’s celebrity, and to “not keep that information to myself,” she’ll release her book The Unexpected Journey later this year to share all she wished she knew when her husband was first diagnosed.  

Mrs. Willis recently spoke at the AFTD Education Conference, in a session focused on how individuals can help make a difference in the effort to develop treatment and a cure for FTD. 

The WAM Prevention and Research Center at Cleveland Clinic is a first-of-its-kind clinic combining clinical care and innovative research to better understand why women are more at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and how to prevent it. 

“There’s no roadmap or guide to becoming a caregiver,” Mrs. Willis said. “We desperately need more education and support resources for those in this 24/7/365 role. Being recognized by WAM is deeply meaningful to me and reflects the importance of raising awareness about brain health and the caregiving journey.” 

The event also honored WAM Research Award recipients. Three Cleveland Clinic researchers received a total of $625,000 from WAM at Cleveland Clinic. This year marks the 51st study to be funded by WAM Research grants, which collectively have garnered more than $83 million in additional National Institutes of Health and foundation funding.