Gabriella Terry

Most of us live as though there will always be more time. We tell ourselves we’ll take that trip someday, pursue that dream next year, make more memories when life slows down. We assume the places we want to see and the things we want to do will still be waiting for us.

Gabby’s fight has reminded our family that none of us is promised tomorrow. Gabby has been approved and is waiting for a liver transplant—the lifesaving chance she needs to begin the next chapter of her life.

For twenty years, Gabby’s world has rarely stretched more than a couple hundred miles from home. She has never had the chance to explore much of the world beyond what is familiar. She dreams of seeing new places, and we’d love to see her one day cheering for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. We want her to sing again, to make her beloved Halloween charms and other crafts, to laugh with the people she loves, and to collect memories she has never had the opportunity to make.

And we want to hear her belt out “Black Velvet” again—not just sing it, but pour herself into every note until the whole room belongs to her. The kind of performance that gives you chills, makes conversation stop, and leaves everyone wanting her to start all over again. For those few minutes, there would be no hospital room, no waiting, no uncertainty. There would just be Gabby, the music, and that beautiful, fierce part of her that deserves to be heard. Because hearing her sing is about so much more than a song. It is a reminder of the joy, personality, and life that illness can never define—and of all the moments we hope she still has ahead of her.

She has already endured profound loss, including losing her mother when she was just 19. Now, as she fights for her life while waiting for a liver, we find ourselves hoping not only that she will survive, but that she will have the chance to experience all the beauty, wonder, and joy that life can still hold.

If Gabby gets this second chance, we want her to live fully. We want her to say yes to the trip, to follow the dream, to make the art, to sing the song, and to see the world with fresh eyes. We want her future to be measured not only in days survived, but in places discovered, songs sung, laughter shared, and memories made.

But before Gabby can begin living those dreams, there is a long road of recovery ahead. A liver transplant is not the end of the journey; it is the beginning of a new one, filled with follow-up appointments, ongoing medical care, and medications she may need for the rest of her life. Even with insurance, the costs of recovery can place a tremendous burden on a family already facing so much. Donations will help establish a fund for eligible transplant-related expenses that insurance does not cover, including prescriptions, deductibles and copayments, follow-up care, transportation to and from UF Health Shands, and eligible lodging or temporary housing when staying near the transplant center is necessary. These expenses can continue long after the transplant itself, and easing that financial strain can help Gabby and her family focus on what matters most: her healing and the possibility of the life still waiting for her. Funds will be used for eligible expenses in accordance with Help Hope Live’s guidelines and documentation requirements.

This is an incredibly difficult season for Gabby and everyone who loves her. We cannot take away the uncertainty or promise what lies ahead. But we can come together to give her the best possible chance at a future filled with the experiences she has waited so long to have.

If you are able, please consider supporting Gabby’s recovery with a donation. Your gift can help cover eligible transplant-related expenses and ease some of the practical burdens that come with this long road. But support does not have to be financial to matter. Sharing Gabby’s story with your friends, family, and community can help people understand who she is, what she has endured, and the future she is fighting to reach. It may connect her with someone who is able to give, while also reminding her that she is not facing this journey alone. Whether you donate, share her story, send encouragement, or simply keep Gabby in your thoughts, every act of support means so much to her and to everyone who loves her.

We cannot promise what the next day brings. But we can hold on to the hope that Gabby has beautiful chapters still ahead of her—and that, if she gets this chance, she will embrace them with everything she has.