Support Gabë's Courageous Battle with Breast Cancer

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Hi all! ~ My name is Callie, and I am fundraising for a very dear friend and bright light in this world, Gabë. In March of this year, she was diagnosed with stage 3C breast cancer at the mere age of 29. Given the severity of the diagnosis and aggressiveness of her cancer, she began chemotherapy just two weeks later, before she was even able to fully understand the scope of her condition.

Throughout the entire treatment, Gabë has fought with more grace, love, and positivity than anyone I have ever known. Breast cancer has hijacked her budding career: less than a year earlier, she graduated film school with her MFA in directing, has been unable to attend the festivals her films are in, and has been unable to work or even look for work. Not to mention, as a dancer her relationship with her body has been fundamentally changed forever.

Despite all of this, she’s never lost her light for a moment, and when you are around her, you can't help but smile. Gabë's strength inspired me before her diagnosis when we met twelve years ago in the Dance Department at Ohio State, and still inspires me every, single day as I watch her battle an unfair hand with her head held high and love leading the way.

She has recently completed all sixteen rounds of chemotherapy and now she’s preparing for a double mastectomy surgery, reconstructive surgery, and radiation therapy. After getting second (and third and fourth) opinions from incredible top-of-their-field surgeons at UCLA, she and her family have chosen out-of-network specialists. These surgeons are distinguished not only in terms of skill and knowledge but also in how they have carefully evaluated every option before making decisions, and how they have meticulously tailored the treatment to Gabë and the specifics of her cancer, her body, and her young age.

While they made this decision with Gabë's health and quality of life in mind, it also means that the costs are significantly higher and are not fully covered by insurance. These two surgeries will be the biggest medical expenses yet, and we appreciate any and all support available. Your donations will aid in the cost of these surgeries as well as other expenses related to her recovery. She is eager to feel her fingertips again, make focaccia, swim in the Pacific, lay out in cute swimsuits at Dockweiler, look gorgeous in her wedding dress when she marries her fiance (*pictured below!), and truly begin building her post-school life as a filmmaker in LA.

“Thank you” cannot cover the immense amount of gratitude we have for your compassion and generosity. Please, please, please share Gabë's story with your networks, as every single contribution, no matter the size, makes a meaningful difference.

Much love and health,

Callie & Friends of Gabë