Additional information
by Alex Gabbi (Author)
Canisters of ashes. This is all I have left of my wife of 15 years and the love of my life. She died after a horrible 38 month battle with ovarian cancer that was discovered during a C-section with our third child. She fought through 3 cycles of radiation, 29 rounds of chemotherapy and 7 weeks of total starvation before she finally succumbed, leaving me behind to raise our three kids, ages, 4, 10, and 12. But she didn't have to die. The doctor she trusted, her OBGYN, even after assessing her as a high-risk patient due to cancer in her family history, withheld information about a genetic test that would have allowed her to quantify her risk and take preventive action before she contracted the disease. Instead, her BRCA genetic mutation, the very same mutation made famous by Angelina Jolie, remained unidentified until after her diagnosis. The Journey is a story of a family that fought through the ups and downs of cancer and that continues to persevere. It is a story of sadness, despair, and loneliness. It is also a story of hope, recovery and happiness. It is a story for every family that has been impacted by cancer. And it is a story for those families that fear that they may be one day. The Journey is the Heather Gabbi story. It is also the story of every mother who has fought with everything in her power and more to stay with her family. It is also my story. And it is the story of every family who finds a way to cope, remember, and persevere even after the battle is lost. Because we are also survivors. And our journey is important as well. My name is Alex Gabbi. After my wife Heather died, I gave up a successful career in high-tech to exclusively focus on making a difference for others in as many ways as possible. I now teach at the University of Texas at Austin. I am focused on spreading awareness on hereditary cancer screening in hopes that the next Heather's death may be avoided with this knowledge. And I am passionate about ensuring that other children are given the tools to cope when one of their parents is afflicted by a serious illness. Because of this, a significant amount of the proceeds of my book, "The Journey", will be donated to Wonders & Worries, an incredible non-profit that has been instrumental in helping my children persevere. My hope is that reading The Journey helps others find a reason to persevere, just as writing the book has served this purpose for me. I am not whole yet, but for the first time since Heather's death I am hopeful. And hope allows me to see a day in the future when no unnecessary lives are lost to cancer. It allows me to envision a day in which my kids grow up and start their own families. It allows me see a life for myself that is more filled with happiness than loneliness. Thank you for your support. I hope that even in some small way you live better, laugh louder, and love stronger as a result of making The Journey with me.
