Sharing My Story and Giving Back: Meet @dawn_giacabazi

Member Spotlights feature interviews with fellow Connect members. Learn more about members you’ve connected with and some you haven’t met yet. Nominate a member you think should share the spotlight.

JOHN: What brought you to Connect?

@dawn_giacabazi: Struggles are universal; we all have them. I came to Connect looking for answers for my struggles. Every story of struggle has a lesson from which the rest of the world can learn.

JOHN: How does or what about Connect makes you feel comfortable to share, to be open with the community?

@dawn_giacabazi: I believe that many are going through similar struggles as I have. By sharing my story with others on Connect, I hope they will find inspiration they need to learn from my struggles. It would be great to be the catalyst for someone else to get their life back on track and move toward success.

JOHN: What groups do you participate in?

@dawn_giacabazi: You'll find me most in the Sleep Health group. It can be a struggle to learn how to manage a CPAP machine and practice healthy sleep hygiene. Members share a lot of tips that are really practical; we solve problems together. The Epilepsy & Seizures group members also are vital to me. I was diagnosed with multiple different seizure disorders. I have partial complex (temporal lobe) seizures, grand mal seizures and petit mal seizures. I was diagnosed in 2000 shortly after a car accident resulting in post-concussion syndrome. One of the best things you can do is educate yourself, and that's what we do in the Epilepsy group.

I'm also known to participate in other groups, such as:

• Autoimmune Diseases
• Bones, Joints & Muscles
• Brain Tumor
• Caregivers
• Chronic Pain
• Heart & Blood Health
• Just Want to Talk
• Visiting Mayo Clinic

JOHN: Who has been a special connection for you on Connect?

@dawn_giacabazi: I do not just have one. The encouragement I received from @rosemarya, however, was truly my turning point in my relationship with Connect. I am wholeheartedly indebted to the love and support I received during an extremely raw and vulnerable point in my life journey. I was surrounded by many loving family and friends, but still felt extremely alone. @rosemarya touched my life, and for the first time in weeks I felt like someone truly understood the depth of my soul that I only thought God could reach.

All of the Connect members have touched my life in so many different ways, which is what makes Connect so special.

JOHN: What surprised you the most about Connect?

@dawn_giacabazi: How warm and welcoming the community is surprised me and made it easy for me to open up. Members were there to empathize, comfort, cheer me on and offer suggestions for my medical issues.  

JOHN: What energizes you, or how do you find balance in your life?

@dawn_giacabazi: God is my motivation, and my faith is my strength.

JOHN: Tell us about your favorite pastime or activity.

@dawn_giacabazi: Hanging out with my children is truly my favorite pastime. They are my world.

JOHN: If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see cast as you?

@dawn_giacabazi: I would like Jordin Sparks, who plays Sparkle in the movie of the same name, cast as me. She is admired for her strength and talent. Jordin is intellectual and passionate, and she puts her heart and soul into whatever she does. She might not be a powerhouse vocalist like some others, but she uses her voice to stand up for what she believes in.

JOHN: Puppies or kittens?

@dawn_giacabazi: Puppies!

See more Member Spotlights.