WHAT IT IS LIKE TO HAVE APHASIA, The 'Devastating' Language Disorder BRUCE WILLIS has

By Chandrayee Roy Choudhury, Canada

There are over 100,000 Canadians living with aphasia, a communication disorder that affects the ability to understand and express language, according to the Aphasia Institute. Aphasia is usually the result of a stroke, affecting about 30 per cent of stroke survivors. But it can also be caused by a brain tumour, brain injury, and is sometimes an early symptom of dementia. 

There's a general lack of awareness and understanding about aphasia, with only seven per cent of people in a 2020 online survey by the U.S.-based National Aphasia Association able to accurately identify it as a language disorder. Yet, as the association notes, aphasia is more common than Parkinson's Disease. 

But that awareness is shifting now that its been revealed that actor Bruce Willis is stepping away from his career after recently being diagnosed with aphasia. In an Instagram post Wednesday, his family said Willis, 67, "has been experiencing some health issues and has been recently diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities."

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