By The Big Magazine Staff
Actor Bruce Willis, 67, is “stepping away from his career” amid a health battle, announced by his daughter, Rumer Willis on Wednesday, via an Instagram statement on behalf of his family.
“To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him,” the statement read.
“This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.
“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that,” the post concluded.
The statement was attributed to Willis’ wife Emma, his ex-wife Demi Moore, and his daughters Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel and Evelyn.
Aphasia, a cognitive condition that impairs the ability to understand or process language.
“Aphasia is this sort of symptom that calls attention to itself immediately,” says David Knopman, MD, a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
“The difficulties in processing or expressing verbal and written communication are obvious to the patient themselves or the people around them. The exact cause of it can then be diagnosed with imaging.”
Aphasia has various causes. The most common is a blood vessel blockage to the language center in the brain, usually triggered by a stroke or acute trauma, such as a gunshot wound. It can also result from a gradual and insidious neurodegenerative disorder, like Alzheimer’s.
And it’s fairly prevalent, affecting roughly 2 million Americans, according to statistics from the National Aphasia Association.
Other notable talent that suffers from aphasia are, Sharon Stone, Randy Travis, Emilia Clarke, and Dick Clark.
Souce: Nextstar Media Wire
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