Bruce Willis is educating the world about aphasia by opening up a discussion that wasn’t there before … according to organizations that support the cause.
The National Aphasia Association saw an unexpected 30,000 hits on their website just one hour after the Willis family broke the news on Instagram … so says Darlene Williamson, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors.
The goal of NAA is to make those with aphasia feel accepted in the community, and Bruce’s family’s announcement is decreasing the stigma behind the disease. Darlene says they’ve received several modest donations since the news of Bruce’s diagnosis … some of the donations came with personal notes in Bruce’s honor.
Justine Knight, the Executive Director at Triangle Aphasia Project Unlimited, tells us one of the worst things those with the disease could do is stay isolated … but now, people are opening up about their experiences after seeing a celebrity in the same position as them.
Justine says they’ve seen a recent uptick in visitors online too with their Facebook page reaching over 4,000 users a day — compared to less than 100 before Bruce’s news broke.
Both foundations say the use of the word “aphasia” played a big part in the awareness … the Willis family could’ve been vague when describing his condition, but coming out and saying exactly what he has is making people in a similar situation as Bruce and others feel accepted.