The moving, true story of the young woman dubbed "The Voice of America's Bullied"; how her bond with her dog, Izzy, changed her life; and their mission to help break the cycle of bullying.
In middle school, Gabrielle "Gabe" Ford developed a degenerative muscle disease, and was harassed by bullies as a result. She did her best to keep her head high, but it wasn't easy. Then Gabe got a dog, Izzy, who developed an uncannily similar disorder. They were invited to appear on Animal Planet to talk about their bond, which in turn led to an invitation to speak at a school. And so began Gabe's career as an anti-bullying advocate. Dubbed "The Voice of America's Bullied" by the Huffington Post, Gabe now makes a career of public speaking and has received numerous honors for her hard work. Here is her amazing story--from her lowest days dealing with various challenges, to the unbelievable and immediate bond with Izzy, to her ongoing mission to put an end to bullying, one school at a time.
Biographical Note:
Gabrielle Ford never dreamed that a long-eared coonhound could change her life. But that's just what happened when she cared for her ailing pet Izzy and found the voice to help others in need as a nationally-known motivational speaker. Today Gabe's incredible story has drawn media attention from The Today Show, Cosmopolitan Magazine and Animal Planet, among others.
As a child, Gabrielle loved dance and dreamed of becoming a prima ballerina. That dream was shattered by a rare genetic neuromuscular disease, Friedreich's Ataxia, that would eventually place her in a wheelchair. Gabe not only struggled with the devastation of the illness, but also endured constant and cruel bullying from classmates. The constant torment took her on a path of depression and isolation.
That all changed when Izzy, a long-eared coonhound pup, entered Gabe's life. Izzy became Gabe's best friend and constant companion. When this special friend mysteriously developed a condition mirroring Gabe's, Gabe re-entered the world to get Izzy the best treatment available.
Speaking out for the voiceless Izzy gave her the courage to speak out for another voiceless group: the thousands of children bullied in American schools every day. Through countless personal trials, Gabe found her way back to the stage as an outspoken advocate against school bullying. In addition to her countless school visits, she has also been a keynote speaker at various conferences and conventions. Her dedication even earned her the 2011 Communications & Leadership Award from Toastmasters International, The 2011 Peace Maker of The Year Award (Gandhi Award /Genesee County MI), as well as the Community Hero Award in 2008 from the Fenton Regional Chamber of Commerce.
School: failure.
Romance: failure.
Family: failure.
Suicide: failure.
This brave and moving novel by the author of Marcelo in the Real World is about the one thing left: living.
When Vicky Cruz wakes up in the Lakeview Hospital Mental Disorders war...
From award-winning author of Pie Sarah Weeks and debut author Gita Varadarajan comes a story that shows us the beautiful ways our lives end up being much more similar than we ever imagine.
Two boys -- one white, one Indian American -- gain strengt...
Narrator: Josh Hurley; Vikas Adam Published: 05/10/2016
From New York Times bestselling authors Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski comes the young listeners' edition of an unbelievable memoir about an unlikely friendship that forever changed the lives of a busy sales executive and a hungry eleven-year-ol...
In this companion to Openly Straight, Ben confronts pressure at school, repression at home, and his passion for two very different people in figuring out what it takes to be Honestly Ben.
Ben Carver is back to normal. He's working steadily in his ...
BE WHO YOU ARE.
When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.
George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be...
A funny, moving, and true story of an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face that's perfect for fans of Wonder—now available in the U.S. When Robert Hoge was born, he had a tumor the size of a tennis ball in the middle of his face...
As he prepares to recite the Declaration of Independence before his eighth grade social studies class in California, the thing Francisco has feared for ten years finally happens. La migra, the immigration police, come to his classroom and pick him u...
Printz Honor-winner and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Carolyn Mackler brings honesty and charm to this middle-grade debut tracing the friendship of two girls.
Meet Hannah. Her name is a palindrome. Her birthday is on New Year's. Her mom died w...
That’s the Stonewall.The Stonewall Inn.Pay attention.History walks through that door.In 1969 being gay in the United States was a criminal offense. It meant living a closeted life or surviving on the fringes of society. People went to jail, lo...
{"id":"684157","ean":"9781490624969","abr":"Unabridged","title":"Gabe & Izzy: Standing Up for America's Bullied","subtitle":"Standing Up for America's Bullied","author":"Gabrielle Ford","rating_average":"0","narrator":"Susan Bennett","ubr_id":"684157","abr_id":"0","ubr_price":"10.99","abr_price":"0.00","ubr_memprice":"6.59","abr_memprice":"0.00","ubr_narrator":"Susan Bennett","abr_narrator":"","ubr_length":"Unabridged: 3 hr 40 min","abr_length":"Abridged: "}