We went for counseling. We healed our marriage,'” Gifford said.
Frank Gifford passed away from a massive heart attack on August 9, 2015, at their family home.
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She recalled trying to revive him alongside her son before emergency medical services arrived.
“Cody was home from school, and we tried to resuscitate him,” she said.
First responders comforted the family, telling her, “Mrs. Gifford, we just want you to know your husband, he never suffered.
He never saw the ground he fell on.”
Following his death, post-mortem evaluations revealed that Frank Gifford suffered from stage 4 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
“We donated his brain to science to be studied for CTE, which my son is very, very involved with now,” Gifford said.
She emphasized that degenerative brain injuries affect many people beyond professional athletes.
“A lot of people have brain trauma all over the world, not just football players,” she said.
Gifford noted that her late husband had frequently acknowledged their 23-year age gap and felt at peace with his mortality.
“He was one week shy of his 85th birthday, but he was ready to go,” she said.
She remembered his final thoughts: “He said, 'You know, hon, I'm not afraid. I'm starting to get really curious.'”
Currently, Gifford focuses on writing her new book, filming an autobiographical documentary, and enjoying her role as a grandmother to five grandchildren.
“I need to find joy in the moment I'm in right now, because none of us know when is our last breath,” she said.
She emphasized appreciating immediate experiences rather than delaying personal fulfillment.
“Instead of [saying], 'One day I'm going to take that vacation, one day I'm going to do this...'
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, find joy right now,” Gifford said.
