How did these 5 celebrities deal with aphasia? Bruce Willis just retired following his diagnosis, Emilia Clarke started a charity for survivors and Randy Travis is still making music ...
- Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke had an aneurysm while working out with her trainer; after her recovery, she started a charity for brain injury survivors, SameYou
- Sharon Stone had a stroke in 2001, but since her recuperation, she feels more ‘emotionally intelligent’, while late host Dick Clark continued to perform
Here are five celebrities who have handled aphasia in inspiring ways …
1. Bruce Willis
Willis’ family announced that he would be stepping back from acting after being diagnosed with aphasia. Willis himself has not made any public statements about his diagnosis, but there was a statement signed off by his ex-wife Demi Moore, current wife Emma Heming Willis and his five children on Instagram, on March 30.
“As Bruce always says, ‘live it up’ and together we plan to do just that,” the statement concluded.
The family did not mention a stroke or brain injury as a precursor to Willis’ diagnosis, so it’s possible the actor may be experiencing primary progressive aphasia, a neurodegenerative condition that can affect language and cognition, Brooke Lang, a speech pathologist, said.