NEW YORK — Two prominent individuals, seemingly different, found common ground through their experiences with caregiving and trauma during a panel discussion on Tuesday in New York City.

During the annual Philanthropy Summit hosted by Town and Country magazine, Emma Heming Willis, wife of actor Bruce Willis, and Michael Strahan, co-host of “Good Morning America” and Pro Football Hall of Famer, shared their journeys of caring for loved ones.

Heming Willis is supporting her husband after he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, while Strahan faced a family health scare last year when his then-19-year-old daughter, Isabella Strahan, was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

“What broke my heart the most was when she looked at me and said, ‘Dad, I’ll do whatever it takes. I don’t want to die,’” Strahan recalled, struggling to hold back tears. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Strahan reflected on how such statements from his child hit differently compared to criticism from a coach or a tweet calling him out. “When your child says that, it really gets to you,” he remarked, prompting laughter from the audience.

Emma Heming Willis: Frontotemporal dementia ‘will not destroy our family’

Both Hemming Willis and Strahan discussed their initial challenges in obtaining accurate diagnoses for their loved ones. The first doctor that saw Isabella suspected a sinus issue.

Bruce Willis was first diagnosed with aphasia, which was later identified as a symptom of frontotemporal dementia—a condition for which there is currently no cure. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke identifies frontotemporal dementia as a frequent cause of early-onset dementia, which progressively impacts fundamental abilities like thinking, speaking, walking, and socializing.

Heming Willis chose to publicly address her husband’s diagnosis partly to promote awareness regarding frontotemporal dementia, the most prevalent type of dementia found in those below 60 years old.

“I dislike public speaking. My husband got me into this,” Heming Willis joked. “What’s the alternative? To let FTD corner us. This disease might affect Bruce, but it won’t tear our whole family apart.”

Michael Strahan updates on daughter Isabella Strahan

Strahan informed the crowd that his daughter has successfully re-learned how to talk and walk, and she announced in July that she is now considered “cancer-free.” Furthermore, she has taken summer classes to catch up on her missed education.

Both he and Heming Willis expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support they’ve received from the public.

“I always knew how beloved Bruce was, but seeing the outpouring of love and compassion directed at him was something else. I stood in the midst of it and felt that,” Heming Willis shared.

This panel discussion occurred at the Hearst Building in Manhattan and was moderated by Katie Couric, who experienced the loss of her husband Jay Monahan to colon cancer in 1998. Couric is a co-founder of the organization “Stand Up 2 Cancer,” which has committed nearly $800 million to innovative cancer research initiatives, according to their official site.

The nonprofit organization featured during Game 4 of the World Series in New York on Tuesday night.