Caregiving and The Unexpected Journey with Emma Heming Willis
Conversations with Cam
Cameron Oaks Rogers
4.7 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 28 January 2026
⏱️ 54 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, I sit down with Emma Heming Willis to discuss her husband Bruce Willis’ diagnosis with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and the realities of caregiving. Emma opens up about the challenges and emotions that come with caring for a loved one with dementia, the impact it’s had on her blended family, and the importance of finding community support. We talk about how FTD manifested for Bruce, how she approached sharing the diagnosis with their young kids, and why advocating for caregivers is so critical. Emma shares advice from her new book, “The Unexpected Journey” for those navigating similar experiences, how she prioritizes her own well-being as a caregiver, and the significance of asking for help without guilt. We also touch on her advocacy work for brain health and the power of both vulnerability and resilience in sharing her family’s journey.
Key Takeaway / Points:
Emma’s present mindset, the challenges of caregiving, and the importance in sharing her family’s story
Emma and Bruce’s love story and their early dating years
On stepping into a blended family
Navigating Bruce’s health changes and the communication struggles in their marriage that ultimately led to a diagnosis
Understanding Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), the differences between dementia and Alzheimer’s, and Bruce’s FTD symptoms
How Emma approached telling their two children about the diagnosis
The realities of caregivers not prioritizing their personal well-being
Decision fatigue, asking for help, and letting go of judgment as a caregiver
Emma’s advocacy work for caregivers and brain health, especially for women
Read her book “The Unexpected Journey” HERE
Listen to my episode with Dr. Kellyann Niotis HERE
Follow Emma:
Instagram: @emmahemingwillis
Websites: emmahemingwillis.com
Follow me:
Instagram: @cameronoaksrogers
Substack: Fill Your Cup
Website: cameronoaksrogers.com
TikTok: @cameronoaksrogers
YouTube: Cameron Rogers
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome back to Conversations with Cam. I am so pumped just about this season. I really, I'm just |
| 0:06.8 | feeling so overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement. So if you are new here, welcome. I hope you |
| 0:13.4 | are enjoying it. And I'm so excited to have you. My listeners are my favorite people in the entire |
| 0:17.0 | world. And if you're new here and want to learn more about the show and the journey, I recommend checking out the first episode of this season. It's a solo talking about like the |
| 0:24.3 | changes and what I'm excited for and a bunch of different things. And then of course, the Mandy |
| 0:28.6 | Moore episode, because it alongside this is one of my favorite episodes we've done. Today's guest |
| 0:33.7 | is Emma Heming Willis. She is a wife, mother, entrepreneur, advocate, caregiver, |
| 0:38.6 | and New York Times best-selling author of The Unexpected Journey, which I highly recommend reading, |
| 0:44.0 | or like me, I enjoy listening to memoirs of sorts, especially if the author is reading it, |
| 0:50.5 | which she does, so highly recommend checking it out on Audible. In 2022, her husband Bruce Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which we reference |
| 0:58.5 | in the episode as FTD, which completely turned her life and her family's life upside down. |
| 1:03.5 | And in this episode, she opens up about the grief she experienced, mourning the life that |
| 1:08.1 | she wants new, and the decision for her family to go public with |
| 1:11.4 | Bruce's diagnosis recently. Through her own experience, Emma now is dedicating her time to |
| 1:16.3 | being an advocate for caregivers, raising awareness for dementia, and starting conversations |
| 1:20.2 | around the importance of brain health, especially for women, which we get into. And I'll also |
| 1:25.1 | link in the show notes an episode with Dr. Kelly and Neotis, |
| 1:28.3 | who actually connected us. And in that episode, we talk a lot about brain health and things you |
| 1:33.6 | can do to, like, support your brain right now, especially for women in their 30s. So if you're |
| 1:38.7 | interested in this topic, I'll link that in the show notes as well. Emma's openness was powerful |
| 1:43.1 | to witness. And I'm so beyond |
| 1:45.7 | honored that she shared her story with me and felt comfortable in having this conversation. |
... |
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