From TV anchor to caregiver: Alzheimer's impact is widespread
As a long-time news anchor for Denver’s FOX-TV affiliate, Libby Weaver didn’t pay much attention to the five-story office building across the street that houses the Alzheimer's Association. There was no history of the disease in her family so, as she left FOX for the last time in 2013, Weaver turned her attention to her new career in real estate and raising her three children.
Weaver never expected that she would soon take on another job: that of “sandwich generation caregiver” as her health-conscious, highly educated mother, Mary Hanigan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 80.
“There is nobody I respected more than my mother,” said Weaver. “She was smart and feisty…the matriarch of our family. She was very close to her 14 grandchildren. Over time, she lost her ability to speak. It was tough for (the grandchildren) to see their grammy like that.
“There’s no roadmap for dealing with this disease,” she said. “Each case is different. My stepfather loved my mom, but he wasn’t equipped to handle it. In mom’s case, we (Weaver and her sister, Kris) needed to take the reins. We were flying by the seat of our pants.”
Weaver and her sister moved their mom from Portland to Denver where she could receive professional care and be closer to them.
Unaware at that time of the resources available to them through the Alzheimer's Association, Weaver and her sister formed a two-person care team, supporting one another as they worked to ensure their mom received the best care possible.
“This disease can be very isolating,” she said. “Your loved one is not in a good frame of mind. There’s fear and secrecy. I was happy to have my sister with me. Sometimes we laughed. Sometimes we cried. It’s a very ugly disease.”
After her mother passed away, Weaver vowed to make a difference and “give something back in mom’s memory.” Returning to the familiar neighborhood across the street from FOX-TV, she volunteered with the Alzheimer's Association.
“I want to do something…want to get involved and let people know the Alzheimer's Association is there and can help families,” she said. “The Alzheimer's Association is the first place you should call.”
The Alzheimer's caregiving experience has brought Weaver into contact with others like her. One of those is Annabel Bowlen whose parents, Pat and Annabel Bowlen, former owners of the Denver Broncos, both developed Alzheimer's. The pair bonded, and for the past four years, have collaborated on the Alzheimer’s Association’s signature fundraiser, the Purple Gala.
“We want to find a cure,” said Weaver of the disease that affects almost 91,000 Coloradans among 6.9 million Americans. Until that time, the two have joined forces as co-chairs for the Association’s Purple Gala, which will be held this year at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at Denver’s Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum. The evening will include cocktails, silent auction, dinner, program and live auction.
“It’s sad that this is one of those diseases that no one wants to talk about,” Weaver said. “We need to let people know that the Alzheimer's Association is there and can help families.”
To learn more about the Purple Gala or purchase tickets, go to
AlzGalaCO.org. To learn more about the programs and services of the Alzheimer's Association, which are offered at no charge to families, go to
alz.org or call the Association’s free 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900.
Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association leads the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia.™ For more information, visit www.alz.org or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.