Throughout her mother's illness, Carter did what she could to preserve her mother's dignity. "It really improved her quality of life." Lynda Carter with her mother, Juanita Cordova Carter, when Lynda was crowned Miss World USA in 1972. "She had people taking care of her all the time, she wasn't alone anymore, and the doctor put her on antidepressants." She also took two different medications to try to slow the progression of Alzheimer's, but the antidepressant made the biggest difference, Carter says. "My mom became a much happier person," Carter says. And it wasn't as distressing as it could have been once Jean moved to the senior facility. Given Jean's history-her two siblings and her mother had developed dementia in their mid-seventies-the diagnosis wasn't that surprising, says Carter. The doctor told the family it wasn't safe for Jean to live on her own anymore, so she moved to a facility that included a secure indoor space, a backyard with a walking path, and plenty of medical oversight. Carter's brother found her and took her to the doctor, who discovered that her toenails had grown so long they interfered with walking. Jean's health became a problem her children couldn't ignore when she fell in her home.
"She'd want to leave before dark because she couldn't remember the street numbers and would get lost," Carter says. When Carter came to town and stayed at her brother's house, it would upset Jean if Carter asked her to come over in the afternoon. Her mother, who had been independent and social and drove everywhere, was suddenly reluctant to drive. "She would get angry if she had to drive at night," Carter recalls. Over time, she began to notice changes in her mother's behavior and signs of cognitive decline. Carter, who lives outside Washington, DC, would fly to Arizona to see Jean every couple of months. She also serves on an executive committee for the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 by the Lauder family to support Alzheimer's disease research worldwide.Īt the time of her diagnosis, Carter's mother, who was known as Jean and whose family came from Mexico, was living alone in the Phoenix area, where Carter and her two siblings were raised. She recently began lending her name and support to Maria Shriver's Women's Alzheimer's Movement. Courtesy Lynda Carterīut for more than 16 years-ever since her late mother, Juanita Cordova Carter, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2003 at age 79-Carter has played her most important role: advocating for more awareness and research funding for the disease. Lynda Carter in the iconic role of Wonder Woman. Music is Carter's first love, and she has performed at Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Dallas.
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She's also written songs and made many other television appearances, including hosting Street Life, the 1982 Emmy-nominated TV special that featured castanets and flamenco dance in a nod to Carter's Hispanic heritage. She has raised two children and been an activist on issues such as breast cancer and LGBTQ rights.
She's best known for her role as Wonder Woman on the hit 1970s TV show, but Lynda Carter's accomplishments go well beyond that iconic persona. Lynda Carter has been active in the Alzheimer's community ever since her mother was diagnosed in 2003. The actress and singer raises awareness of the disease as a way to honor her mother. Lynda Carter Advocates for Those with Alzheimer’s Disease
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