Priscilla Presley expressed that the passing of her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, marked the “second saddest” day of her life.
“It was the second saddest day, aside from losing Elvis,” Priscilla, 80, shared, reflecting on her grief as she prepares for the release of her memoir, “I Leave You, Life After Elvis.”
She mentioned that coming to terms with Lisa’s absence was a lengthy process.
Elvis passed away in August 1977 at the age of 42 due to a heart attack. Lisa Marie, who was 54 at the time of her death in January 2023, suffered from a small intestinal obstruction after undergoing bariatric surgery several years earlier.
When Lisa’s ex-husband, Danny Keefe, realized she wasn’t responding at her Los Angeles home, he reached out to Priscilla and asked her to come to the hospital.
Priscilla recalled, “We were there all day. Lisa wasn’t really breathing and was on a ventilator.” She spent her time there waiting and hoping for a miracle.
However, that hope faded when a doctor came and told her, “Priscilla, I’m sorry, she’s gone.” The disbelief weighed heavily on them all.
Priscilla continues to face challenges. She has been supporting her son, Navalon Garibaldi, 38, in overcoming addiction. Thankfully, she noted that he’s now in a “good place.”
It’s been a tough journey for her, especially after losing her grandson, Benjamin Kiewu, to suicide in July 2020 at just 27.
Priscilla remarked, “It wasn’t easy at all. But you have to find strength.”
Excerpts from her upcoming book have been shared, detailing the heart-wrenching moments before Lisa’s life support was removed.
In her writing, Priscilla described Lisa being reliant on machines for breathing, with minimal brain activity. Then, a “Code Blue” alarm sounded; Lisa’s heart had stopped.
Recalling the moment, Priscilla said, “We were there all day, waiting, hoping, praying.” Unfortunately, the miracle she wished for never arrived.
Priscilla also recalled a poignant conversation with the doctor post-resuscitation attempt, where the reality of Lisa’s condition hit hard: “There’s absolutely no quality of life.”
Thinking of her daughter, Priscilla made the difficult decision to have the machines turned off, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I Leave You, Life After Elvis” is set to be released on September 23rd.
