Emma Heming shared an emotional message for her 17th wedding anniversary with her husband, Bruce Willis, as he continues to battle with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
The model, who married the Die Hard actor in 2009, posted a photo of the pair looking loved-up while swimming in the ocean in Turks and Caicos, with a beautiful sunset in the background.
"17 years of us," Emma's caption began. "Anniversaries used to bring excitement – now, if I'm honest, they stir up all the feelings, leaving a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach."
"I give myself 30 minutes to sit in the 'why him, why us,' to feel the anger and grief," she continued.
"Then I shake it off and return to what is. And what is…is unconditional love. I feel blessed to know it, and it's because of him. I'd do it all over again and again in a heartbeat," she finished.
In her comments, Emma received a flood of support from fans and friends alike, including Bruce's daughter with Demi Moore, Tallulah Willis.
© Instagram"I love you so much. Both of you 321," wrote the 30-year-old, who got engaged to her boyfriend, Justin Acee, over Christmas.
The emotional post comes almost two years after Bruce received the shocking dementia diagnosis, just before his 68th birthday.
The disease manifests in personality changes, difficulty speaking and memory problems, and most people who suffer from it receive a diagnosis between 40 and 60 years old.
© ANGELA WEISSInitially, the father of five was diagnosed with aphasia, which affects communication.
"I say that FTD whispers, it doesn't shout," Emma told Town and Country about how the family is living with Bruce's illness.
"It's hard for me to say, 'This is where Bruce ended, and this is where his disease started to take over.' He was diagnosed two years ago, but a year prior, we had a loose diagnosis of aphasia, which is a symptom of a disease but is not the disease."
© InstagramEmma and Bruce welcomed their daughter Mabel in 2012, followed by Evelyn in 2014; explaining to their children what the 69-year-old's diagnosis means for them has been a challenge, according to the mom of two.
"This disease is misdiagnosed, it's missed, it's misunderstood, so finally getting to a diagnosis was key so that I could learn what frontotemporal dementia is and I could educate our children," Emma told the publication.
"I've never tried to sugarcoat anything for them. They've grown up with Bruce declining over the years. I'm not trying to shield them from it…They know that Daddy's not going to get better."
© Stefanie KeenanEmma met Bruce in 2007 through their personal trainer, and first went public with their romance when they stepped out together at the Sundance premiere for What Just Happened? in January 2008.
Emma is exceptionally close to Bruce's ex-wife, Demi Moore, and his older daughters, Rumer, Scout and Tallulah.
The tight-knit family have been a pillar of strength for the 46-year-old as they navigate Bruce's diagnosis.
