SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Bruce Willis’ family announced that he is stepping away from acting following a diagnosis of aphasia, a language disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and makes it difficult to understand speech.
“What Bruce Willis is suffering from is a condition that basically takes away your ability to communicate, your ability to speak, to be understood easily,” explained KYW Newsradio medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough. “[It] could even impact language like writing, those types of things.”
Darlene Williamson, president of the National Aphasia Association, said aphasia is caused by brain injuries like strokes.
Related Jawncast: Looking back at Willis' career and its impact on the Philly film scene
“There is a language center in the left side of your brain, and when there is damage to that particular area of the brain, then the result is a communication disorder called aphasia,” she said.
Willis’ family did not specify what caused the diagnosis.
“Not knowing the cause, we’re not necessarily sure how well it could be treated, if in fact it can be treated,” said McDonough. “Some of the common things you see are stroke, different forms of cancer.”
Related
For most, the cause is stroke, but a brain infection or Alzheimer’s disease can also trigger it.
The National Aphasia Association estimates 2 million Americans are affected and nearly 180,000 get the disorder every year. Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was wounded in a 2011 shooting, has aphasia from that injury.
Aphasia affects people of all ages. With support and effective treatment, it can get better over time, but many people who suffer from it will carry it with them in some form for the rest of their lives.
Speech and language therapy can help. Researchers are looking into new types of speech therapy and noninvasive methods such as a procedure that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate brain cells.
Related
Willis’ family, including ex-wife Demi Moore, shared the announcement on Instagram Wednesday, saying this is a “challenging time for our family.”
“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that,” the post reads.
Willis is a South Jersey native. He grew up in Salem County and graduated from Penns Grove High School. Of his expansive career, including the “Die Hard” franchise, he starred in several films by M. Night Shyamalan, who also grew up in the greater Philadelphia region.
The 67-year-old is well known for his roles in blockbusters like “Pulp Fiction,” “The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable,” and “The Fifth Element,” to name a few.