Walking for Gaby
On October 9, 2024, our family lost our beloved daughter, Gabriela "Gaby" Ridings, at just 20 years old.
Gaby was a nursing student at Nova Southeastern University who dreamed of helping others. She was kind, funny, compassionate, and fiercely loyal to the people she loved. She loved sharks and marine life, music, the fall season and Halloween, her cats, and spending time with family and friends. She had an infectious smile and a remarkable ability to make people feel welcome and cared for.
Gaby's life was cut tragically short by a cardiac arrhythmia caused by fibrosis of her heart's conduction system, a condition that was completely unknown to us before her death. Like many families, we never imagined that a seemingly healthy young adult could be lost to an undiagnosed heart condition.
We walk in Gaby's memory to honor her life and to raise awareness that serious heart conditions can affect young people. We hope that continued research, improved screening, greater awareness of warning signs, and advances in cardiac testing will help identify at-risk individuals before tragedy strikes. If even one family is spared the heartbreak of losing a child because of increased awareness or earlier detection, Gaby's legacy will have made a difference.
Every step we take during the Heart Walk is for Gaby. It is for the nurse she hoped to become, the life she should have had ahead of her, and the countless families facing similar losses.
Although her heart failed her, Gaby's heart for others continues to inspire us every day. Through her memorial scholarship, charitable projects, and the memories she left behind, her impact continues to be felt by everyone who knew and loved her.
Thank you for supporting our team and helping us honor Gaby's memory while supporting the fight against heart disease and sudden cardiac death.
Forever our daughter. Forever our inspiration. Forever walking for Gaby.