#GabbysGrant for Medical Care

Each day we wake up not thinking much different than the day before. We get up go to school or work and then off to the next task or obligation on the to-do list.  You never think when you wake up it would be the day that would change your life forever.  My name is Robbie Gregory, one of the coaches of the Jupiter High School cheerleading teams here in Jupiter, FL.  The reason I bring this up is this was the case for one of our wonderful Jupiter High School Seniors Gabby Sicari. Thursday, September 22nd, started out just like any other day for Gabby. She woke up, did her normal morning routine and ran out the door to school that day with plans for cheer practice after school.  Later that day at cheer practice she was warming up her tumbling skills, skills she's done hundreds of times, just like any other practice. Everyone's tumbling, warming up their skills and having a great time, however in her last rotation she came down on her head and neck causing a severe neck injury. Thankfully for her head coaches training and intuition she called 911 immediately and instructed her to not move or be moved until the paramedics arrived, ultimately saving her from any further damage. She was rushed to hospital to find out she had broken her C 5 & 6 vertebrae in her neck and they had been pushed out of alignment against her spinal cord. Needless to say she had to have emergency surgery, but had to have a special surgeon flown in to repair the damage. After countless hours of waiting, tears shed and two surgeries, Gabby was finally in the clear.  Her surgeries were a success and she would be able to have full mobility still. They had to fuse her C 5 & 6 and realign everything with plates and screws.  However the road ahead is not an easy one for this little ball of sunshine. She has months of healing, rehabilitation and lasting effects moving forward that will be extremely costly but are absolutely necessary. To let you know a little about Gabby she is about five foot nothing and 90 pounds soaking wet but packed into this little young lady is the funniest, smiliest, goofiest, talented little athlete I have had a chance to work with.  She always has a big smile on her face and as happy as anyone could be!
I have had the pleasure of coaching her during her entire high school career, seeing her work her way up from JV cheer team on to varsity and become a phenomenal asset to the team. She has such heart and her smile will always make you crack a grin. It makes me so sad that I won't be seeing that gleaming smile out on the floor with the team this season.  If fact what makes Gabby the saddest is knowing she won't be able to come back to the team this season.  I know if she had one wish it would be to compete with her girls this season.
Gabby is now in recovery and starting into the grueling task of rehabilitating from this injury. She is getting better day by day and doing it all with a smile on her face!
I have started this campaign called Gabby's Grant (#GabbysGrant) to raise money to help pay for the surgery, medical/hospital costs, rehabilitation and further costs for physical therapy over the next 9-12 months of her recovery. ALL FUNDS will 100% go to Gabby and her parents to help ease these unexpected costs. God willing she will make a full recovery with no other permanent damage.  We will run this campaign for the next three months to try and get all donations to Gabby and her family before the end of the year.
Creating this campaign and account for Gabby is something that her teammates, coaches and myself are compelled to do to help this wonderful young woman.  Every athlete I coach I look at as a child of my own.  I know this may sound funny to some of you but we help shape these athletes during the development of their lives.  We spend countless hours with them practicing, preparing, traveling, competing, helping with homework or just chatting with them when they had a bad day at school or someone gave them a hard time.  Through all of this we are just not coaches and a team; we become a family, one that supports each other in the good times and the bad.  I would do anything to help one of my "cheer children" just like their own parents and loved ones and that is why I am doing this.  To help take care of and get one of my "cheer children" everything they need to make a full recovery and not be burdened or stressed with the means to pay for it.  I will be forever grateful to anyone, friends, family, friends of friends and even perfect strangers that have the heart to give towards this wonderful girl’s recovery.  Any amount will help, big or small.  It takes a whole lot of people to just give a little to make a big difference or even a few individuals to give a lot.  Anything will be greatly appreciated, thank you for hearing my story and God Bless.

Coaches first visit to the hospital post surgery, still all smiles :)

First day walking after surgery! Still smiling and getting better day by day.