The Huntington's Post

Who is Gaby Hamilton?

TUNE IN TO
The HD View with
GABY HAMILTON
August 13, 2012

GABRIELLE (GABY) HAMILTON Therapist, Speaker and Huntington’s Disease (HD) Activist
In 1994 Gabrielle joined the board of the Greater NY/LI Chapter of Huntington’s Disease Society of America.
By 1995 she became the President and during her leadership the Chapter became the first to provide monies
directly to the local HD Clinics to run social work support services—later called the Centers for Excellence.

Gabrielle became a Certified Social Worker in 1997 and began providing therapy to children and families
through a community-based organization known as
Safe Space. When her term ended in 1998, Gabrielle left the Chapter to focus on her new son, Teddy, and
her full-time profession. Throughout this time, Gabrielle continued her volunteer work with The Hereditary
Disease Foundation speaking occasionally at fundraisers, meetings with scientists, and participating in
research studies.

In 2008, Gabrielle published a children’s book entitled LILCO & HIS MOMMY and began speaking with children
and families in schools about parenting in the face of illness. She has recently opened a private practice
providing therapeutic services to children, adults and geriatrics specializing in the management the stress
associated with HD and other neurological disorders.

Gabrielle’s mother, grandmother and aunt were all afflicted with HD and she herself has been diagnosed as
gene-positive. She often explores the topic of hope in spite of illness in her talks and since 2010, has served
as a panelist on this topic at Long Island’s Education Day. She has also been a panelist at HDSA Conventions
in Denver, CO; Philadelphia, PA; and Rochester, NY, as well as a featured writer at the Pittsburg Convention.
In 1998, her poems about HD were published in the book FACES OF HUNTINGTON’S. Gabrielle graduated
from The Hunter College School of Social Work with Honors and received the Goldfein Award for her thesis
paper entitled “Positively Testing.” This paper was eventually published in the November/December 1998
edition of FAMILIES IN SOCIETY.

Find Gaby's
poems here: