VOLUME 9 ISSUE 1, JANUARY, 2004

The Phenomenal Leeza Gibbons
In her own words . . . .


Like everyone, my story with Alzheimer's is a personal one. At the very young age of 63, my mother - our rock, our steel magnolia - was diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer's. To make the ache in our hearts even greater, this diagnosis closely followed my mother's painful struggle with her own mother's battle with the same disease. We lost my Granny. I lose a little more of Mom every day. I want so badly to promise my daughter that she will never have to lose me in the same way.

When my family began its journey with this dreaded disease we felt so alone, so frustrated and so frightened. We were so overwhelmed that we fumbled through the process almost numb, without a lifeline. As I've watched this "thief of life and memories" take so much, my desire to help others has grown. My father, who has always been my hero, has emerged as a loving caregiver, faithful fundraiser and vigilant fighter. My husband, sister, brother and sister-in-law are soldiers in the same army. Our fight has been fueled by my mother's courageous insistence that we use her illness as the impetus to inform, educate and advocate, politically and clinically, for others suffering in silence.

Three years later, this is the outcome of our efforts. I'm so pleased to announce this organization founded to heal the patient, caregiver and our community at large. While we strive to assist with the day-to-day struggles of coping with this disease, our mission is much larger. We are committed to finding a cure.

Thank you for your interest in The Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation. Whether you are a client, a caregiver or healthcare provider, there is a place for you in the fight against this worldwide epidemic.
Sincerely,

Leeza Gibbons


And from her website, http://www.leezasplace.org/ . . .

The Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation, in partnership with the nonprofit Alzheimer's Foundation of America, is pleased to celebrate the opening of the country's first Leeza's Place in New York City on December 9th, 2003
The AFA Leeza's Place of Manhattan
322 8th Avenue
6th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Tel: 866.232.8484

An intimate and safe setting where caregivers (anyone actively providing care for a loved one with a memory disorder) and those recently diagnosed with any neurological disorder can gather to prepare themselves for the challenging journey ahead.

Developed in response to the challenges Leeza and her family encountered while seeking specific and needed support, Leeza's Place is a potent source of information, strength and purpose. Nestled within your own community, Leeza's Place is a multifaceted reprieve, for both caregivers and the recently diagnosed, that integrates educational programs, connective social activities, emotional support, and intergenerational programming designed to help you navigate through your community's continuum of care. Leeza's Place was designed to ensure that others experiencing what the Gibbons family encountered would have access to new, supportive settings created for the purpose of educating, empowering and energizing.

What you can expect

The cornerstone of each Leeza's Place is a specially trained "Leeza Care Advocate" whose primary responsibility is to guide caregivers and their loved ones through the emotionally charged maze of memory disorders: educationally, supportively, and confidently. There is nothing ordinary about Leeza's Place - everything done here is designed to induce a more positive outcome for those whose lives have been turned upside down. Each Leeza's Place has been carefully crafted to empower both the caregiver and the recently diagnosed by offering services that create self esteem, relieve symptoms, impart knowledge, reduce stress, promote inclusion, and ultimately improve the quality of life while helping you to acquire advocacy, coping and care-related skills.

All of the programs at Leeza's Place are the direct result of listening to and understanding the unique needs, values, pressures and goals of caregivers and their loved ones. Programs have been designed to provide educational and empowering strategies that are not currently available. Although services may vary from site to site, each Leeza's Place locale will provide programs that offer support on three levels - emotional, educational and social - for caregivers, families and their recently diagnosed loved ones.