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Rumer Willis is celebrating the wins she can amid her father Bruce Willis' dementia diagnosis.
The 38-year-old actress recently spoke with People about finding the joy and navigating the changing dynamic amid her dad's battle with frontotemporal dementia, including the special moments she spends with the Die Hard actor and her 3-year-old daughter Louetta.
"What's been interesting having a family member with dementia, it's like, he's happy. As well as someone could be doing, given the circumstances, he's doing well," she said. "When I get to see him, he sees me and Louetta and he starts smiling. So, there's so much love and joy and tenderness that still exists there. And in terms of that, I would say that's a huge win."
She added, "And the fact that we still have him, you know."
Rumer explained how gratitude for having more time with her dad has been the most important aspect of the "challenge" of his diagnosis.
"The most important thing for me is that I'm so grateful that I have this time with him for however many years it may be," she said. "I'm grateful that he seems generally wonderful and, given all of the givens of our situation, that our family is just so loving and together."
The House Bunny actress recently partnered with Function, a health membership that offers advanced lab tests and assessments, to determine her risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. In a video shared to Instagram on Monday (August 24), she opened up about the impact of her dad's battle with dementia and detailed finding a way to be present with who he is now compared to who he used to be.
"I really miss my dad. I miss a different version of who he was. There are some days that are just so hard. I try to prioritize being present with where he's at now. The truth is, to be strong is learning to deal with both things at the same time."