Community Corner

Joliet Women Climb Mountain in Support of Caretakers

Kathy Miller and Kim Jackson, both from Leeza's Care Connection at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center, found inspiration in caregivers to climb Mount Washington in New Hampshire.


Story by Mary Compton

When Kathy Miller met Kim Jackson, she knew she would have a friend for life. 

“What I don’t think of, Kim does,” Miller said. “We work well together, and it becomes a mountain climb.”

Miller and Jackson, both from Joliet, met through the Leeza’s Care Connection at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center, a free support service and resource center for families caring for relatives suffering from chronic illnesses and memory disorders. Miller, who is the program director for the St. Joseph branch of LCC, asked Jackson, an artist who regularly contributes original works to non-profits, to work on a piece for LCC. Shortly thereafter, Jackson became more involved and now teaches classes in LCC at St. Joseph.

The two also were caretakers for family members with illnesses, and experienced firsthand the difficulties faced. 

To further support caretakers, the women joined renowned TV broadcaster Leeza Gibbons in climbing Mount Washington in New Hampshire, to raise money for the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation and for the Army of Change. Both compared the climb to being caretakers and the journey it takes.  

“When you’re climbing a mountain, it’s a spiritual awakening,” Miller said. 

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve taken on?

Miller
:  My biggest challenge was a recent journey I was on. My mother was always on the go, a vibrant individual (and my best friend). Complications from a fall left her in a coma, she passed at the end of March. My mother was involved in Leeza’s Care Connection. Not only did she support us financially but would attend our programs.  She became my biggest cheerleader and was proud of the work I was doing to help caregivers.  If you ever visit Leeza’s Care Connection, you’ll see my mothers influence. When you walk into Leeza’s Care Connection, it feels like home.

Jackson: My biggest challenge was seeing that both my children made it through college.  Ashley is a licensed teacher and Matthew is in his third year of medical school.  I am so proud of their accomplishments. I guess when you have children you have a tendency to put them first.  After climbing the mountains of parenthood I was ready to climb the mountains of caregiving. Being a caregiver to my mother, who passed away at the age of 68, I wanted to help achieve awareness to all caregivers and the mountains they climb daily. Climbing Mount Washington was a huge step forward.

What inspired you to take this challenge?

Miller: Like any other caregiver you never know what path your journey will take you. Leeza’s Care Connection prepared me for this unexpected journey with my mother. What has most inspired me is the power of kindness, of compassion to care for others and the power of touch. When there were no words, a hug kept me going. One day a woman came in to Leeza’s Care Connection, she was caring for her mother and on the verge of caregiving burnout. We talked for a couple of hours. There were tears and laughter. When she was getting ready to leave, I gave her a hug. Tears rolled down her cheek and she said ‘you don’t know how
much I needed that.’ That’s what inspires me. That’s what helped me on this journey with my mother. She was my hero and inspiration.

Jackson: From the day the door opened, I walked through the door of Leeza’s Care Connection I found a place to hang my heart.  With the challenge to climb Mount Washington, I had an opportunity to reach altitudes that would follow me forever.  On this journey, I felt the mountain …the climb of the caregiver. During the climb I constantly thought about caregivers, who climb their own mountain daily. How often is the caregiver hoping someone will offer relief?  I found myself reaching for a helping hand to lead me up to the mountain.  As a caregiver I needed a boost. That’s what we do at LCC. We take the person by the hand, walk them up the mountain and guide them through the journey. Just as the caregiver experiences, the strain of the commitment, I felt the strain of the climb. Energy wearing out, feeling drained, needing support. I had to find a way to move on. I achieved this goal with the same encounter of a caregiver. I didn’t let the mountain journey overcome the means.

Did you succeed?

Miller: Every time a caregiver tells us we saved their life, we understand what they mean.  When you’re at a point of despair as a caregiver, an understanding ear and heart makes all the difference.  An Iowa City hospice worker called me the other day to check in with me. She was pleased I had a wonderful support system. That is the key to caregiving I learned at LCC and put into practical use in my own life.  I am blessed and grateful that I’m a part of a community resource that values, acknowledges and thanks caregivers.

Jackson:  I succeeded the climb but I am destined to conquer the journey. By the support groups I direct at Leeza’s Care Connection, I am able to help others stand up to the challenge, reach out to their loved ones with compassionate arms coddle them with kindness and climb their mountains with confidence. At LCC
I have received from those who attend, an embrace that gives back to me so much more than a goal achieved. They give me a purpose in my life that makes me feel blessed.

Leeza Gibbons will be at the Leeza’s Care Connection in Joliet on Sept. 20-21 for the 4th annual Journey In Motion Walk. For information on the walk or free caregiving programs, go towww.leezascareconnection.org or call 815-741-0077.


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