Gabi's Choice to Fight for Her Life

Gabi was only 12 years old when she experienced her first drug overdose.

What may have begun as experimentation quickly became a dangerous struggle with substance use. According to Gabi, she survived more than a dozen life-threatening incidents. Each one could have ended her life.

Addiction affected her health, her education and her ability to imagine a hopeful future. Although she knew drugs were hurting her, stopping was not as simple as making one promise. Substance use disorder is a serious health condition, and Gabi needed professional treatment, structure and continuing support.

Eventually, she began attending University High School, a recovery-focused school in Austin. The school provided an environment where she could continue her education while receiving help to remain sober. Instead of being surrounded by the same pressures and circumstances that contributed to her drug use, she became part of a community that understood recovery.

Gabi acknowledged that reaching this point was extremely difficult and that she nearly lost her life. Nevertheless, she chose to accept help and keep working toward recovery.

She also made the courageous decision to share her experience publicly. Her purpose was not to glorify drug use or draw attention to herself. She wanted other young people to understand how quickly experimentation can become life-threatening — and to show that asking for help is an act of strength.