- Emma Heming Willis has advocated for caregivers after deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa
- Hackman is believed to have been suffering with Alzheimers before his death, last month
- Heming Willis has passionately discussing the subject since Bruce Willis’ dementia diagnosis
Emma Heming Willis has made a plea for more care to be given to caregivers, in the wake of the deaths of Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa.
It was revealed last week that Hackman had been alive for up to a week after Arakawa passed in their Santa Fe home, yet may not have realised as he was believed to have been suffering from complications related to Alzheimers.
Heming Willis, 46, is married to actor Bruce Willis, who was diagnosed with aphasia in 2022 and then frontotemporal dementia in 2023. The model and actress has since advocated passionately for caregivers to receive more care themselves as they attempt to deal with the difficulties that arise from providing constant care for loved ones suffering from serious physical and mental disabilities.
A co-founder of Make Time Wellness, Heming Willis posted on Instagram on Monday to discuss Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths, with the caption “Caregivers need care too. Period. Full stop. #supportcaregivers.”
In an emotional video, Heming Willis said, “It’s just made me think of this broader story, and that is that caregivers need care too and that they are vital, and that it is so important that we show up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person.
“I think that there’s this common misconception that like caregivers, they got it figured out. They got it covered. They’re good. I don’t subscribe to that. I think that we need to be showing up for them so that they can continue to show up for their person.”
At a news conference called by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s department, last week, it was revealed that Arakawa died on February 11 of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome – a rare, but severe respiratory disease which can be transmitted to humans from infected rodents. Hackman is believed to have died around a week later, on February 18, which is when the Oscar winner’s activity on his pacemaker stopped recording cardiac activity.
(h/t USA Today)
