4 | Health Matters: Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center
Leeza's Care
Connection
Provides
Critical
Support
Taking care of a loved
one with Alzheimer's
isn't easy, but help is
just a phone call away.
L
eeza Gibbons is best known as an
Emmy Award–winning TV reporter and
host, but she's had a profound impact
in the health field with her nonprofit
Leeza's Care Connection, right here at
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.
It all began when she watched her mother
decline from Alzheimer's disease.
"My mother was a southern steel
magnolia—fiercely loyal and strong,
sometimes sassy and always no-
nonsense," says Gibbons. "She was
everybody 's favorite mom, that safe
place to rest your fears and give voice to
your ambition. As is so often the case,
Alzheimer 's stole that and more. It took
her confidence and took away her sense
of security, replacing it with vulnerability
and uncertainty. As she fell deeper into
the abyss, our family initially headed to
our respective corners trying to evade
the sadness, depression and feelings of
helplessness. That, however, never works,
and ultimately we found our resolve and
began to fight back, even as we accepted
this new reality."
