Help Gabbie Find Her Voice
From the moment I found out I was pregnant with Gabbie, I knew something wasn’t right. Everyone thought I was overthinking, even the doctors—but a mother knows.
When Gabbie was just three weeks old, she started having terrifying episodes. Her tiny body would tighten and bend into a C-shape for hours, almost like she was having a seizure. Her eyes would roll slightly, she’d drool, whine, and be completely out of it. When the episode ended, her body would stay pulled to one side for a week or two before slowly straightening. Then, just as it seemed to be improving, she’d wake up the next day in another episode—the opposite side this time.
I begged doctors for answers, but no one knew what was wrong. We were sent from one doctor to another, and by the age of two, Gabbie had been misdiagnosed with multiple different conditions—none of them true. Her doctor would always say, “She’ll grow out of it,” and every time I would ask, “Out of what?” No one could ever give me an answer. They just kept referring us to somebody else.
Through all of this, we never stopped fighting for her. We did years of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and chiropractic care. Every bit of progress she’s made—rolling over, crawling, sitting, walking—came from her determination and the care we fought to provide.
Finally, I begged her neurologist here to refer us to a movement disorder specialist, and they finally did. We met this incredible specialist, who diagnosed Gabbie with BPTI (Benign Paroxysmal Torticollis of Infancy) within 30 minutes. Before that, we had no idea what was happening with her. We traveled back to this specialist for follow-ups, and three months ago, she performed genetic testing that revealed Gabbie has an extraordinarily rare gene deletion, with fewer than 100 cases documented. This now explains her developmental delays, her need for glasses, and especially her speech apraxia, which makes it very difficult for her to communicate.
Now, at seven years old, Gabbie is in first grade and faces many challenges every day. Her speech apraxia makes communication very hard, and her rare gene deletion causes attention and focus difficulties, similar to ADHD. She also has apraxia of the hands, so tasks like writing are a real challenge—I help her trace her letters to keep up. Despite all this, she’s incredibly smart, kind, and brave—she loves makeup, dressing up, purses, jewelry, and anything girly. She’s my entire world, and my goal is to do everything I can to give her her voice.
Where Your Support Goes
Every dollar makes a difference in helping Gabbie get the care she needs. Here’s what your donations will help us with (rough estimates — costs could be higher):
$10,000–$12,000 – Advanced speech therapies, including specialized programs and alternative treatments not covered by insurance
$3,000–$4,000 – Travel and lodging for Gabbie’s upcoming trips to Miami for MRIs, EEGs, and neurologist visits
$1,500–$2,000 – New therapy equipment and tools for home use to support her progress between appointments
$2,000–$3,000 – Additional testing and follow-up appointments for her rare gene deletion
We’re praying and believing that with your help, we can give Gabbie the best chance at finding her voice and living the life she deserves.
How You Can Help
Donate – every dollar counts!
Share – spreading her story helps more people see it
Pray or send good vibes – your positive energy means the world
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, sharing, and supporting Gabbie.
#GabbieStrong #RareGeneDeletion #ApraxiaAwareness #MiracleGirl