This Oscar Sunday, Leeza Gibbons is joining forces with Olivia Newton John and David Foster to host a star studded event called “.” This
isn’t just any glitzy Oscar party though this is a “party with a purpose.” Benefiting the and Olivia Newton John’s Cancer and Wellness Center, this event will bring will bring together stars like Jessica Biel, Hilary Duff, and Cindy Crawford to celebrate the worlds of celebrity and charity. When Leeza, the mother of three children ages 11, 17, and 20, lost her beloved mother to Alzheimer’s, she felt inspired to help other families cope with the devastation of loss and day to day struggle of dealing with a sick family member. Momlogic sat down with Leeza to discuss the foundation, and life as a Hollywood mom: What kind of challenges did you face while seeking support to care for your mother who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease The same hurdles that any family has to jump over when they get a diagnosis of chronic illness. Families start to unravel — no matter how close you are and how many resources you have — when someone gets sick, people get fearful and family members begin to feel isolated. And that began to happen with ours. With a disease like Alzheimer’s, the first challenge is facing the truth about your loss and beginning to grieve the decades ahead. I think the challenge is really just knowing that your happily-ever-after has been upended. Tell us a little bit about the Leeza Gibbon’s Memory Foundation. We created what we had wished we had had. This environment was modeled after my mom’s kitchen: the doors are always open and the coffee’s always on. We realized that caregivers are faltering and people are getting sick faster — and we felt we could make a difference in a lot of people’s lives. We’re mostly an oasis for sisters, daughters, wives and loved ones [of people suffering with a chronic illness] to gather strength and get a new reality. The caregiver burden is the same as the diagnosis, so we created a group that provides empowerment, energy and ease. Our programs are very wide in reach — everything from a drum circle to laughter humor therapy we do a lot of reiki, we have movie nights and scrapbooking and things called “memory television.” How did losing your mother affect you as a mother The sun never shines quite as brightly when you lose your mom. Our mothers are our comfort, our north stars. Without them, we have a hard time figuring out who we are. It’s interesting because I began to think about how my kids would experience my own death — and I began to tell them things. I so encourage families to discuss death before things become a crisis, to communicate everything — so you can have your “marching orders” and cling together instead of fall apart. What is an “Ambassador of Change” and who are some of the Hollywood celebrity philanthropists that you will be honoring An “Ambassador of Change” is someone that leads by example — who dedicates themselves to change. I was so impressed with the (philanthropic) work of Jessica Biel and Hillary Duff- they’ve decided that their advocacy is meaningful and recognized that their voice can be a powerful influence. They don’t have to do it — but they do. You know what I love You look at Cookie Johnson, Fran Drescher, Holly Robinson Peete — all these woman who have taken what has been bad news and pushed to do something better –they are so inclusive and help the community and there’s no competition, they are just so invested in helping others and reaching out. It’s really awesome.
How hard is it to go from Leeza, mom of three, to Leeza at a big Hollywood event It’s effortless because it’s all me. I have never been great at compartmentalizing. But I’ve got to give it to my kids. They’ve been incredibly generous and accommodating when it comes to the work that I do. And I try to include them in it all so they understand. I love what I do and am proud. I think parents sometimes, and I’m guilty of it too, but they don’t let their kids in on how much extra effort it takes to be successful — how much integrity it takes. And I think that instead of feeling guilty, we need to include them and set an example and be proud of how hard we work — essentially for them.