Years ago, John Gabriel shared with us the moment that changed his life.
“Of all things, I was reading a Michael J. Fox piece in a magazine, and I had noticed the quiver in my ring finger for a while, and eventually I got a little bit of movement in my foot,” said former Orlando Magic General Manager John Gabriel.
It’s been 18 years since Gabriel was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease—18 years of never-ending change and adjustment.
“It’s not easy. It’s not easy,” Gabriel admitted. “And there’s times when I think maybe I should give up. It’s a battle every day.”
But John Gabriel is a warrior. As a young man, he cut lawns before talking his way into an entry-level job in basketball, eventually rising to general manager of the Orlando Magic, where he was named NBA Executive of the Year and recently inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame. John Gabriel, the man who cobbled together the Magic’s famous heart-and-hustle team of overachievers is all heart and hustle himself.
There is no cure for Parkinson’s. And while there have been advancements in treating symptoms, there hasn’t been a new drug proven to slow, stop, or reverse the disease in over 50 years, which is why Gabriel appeared before Congress to plead for more research funds.
“I said, ‘Don’t forget us people that are still working. We’d like a new drug,” Gabriel recounted. “I want to say in here, I’m still Gabe. And I may not be as articulate as I was. I may shake a little bit, but I’m still the same guy.”
Gabriel is now in his 45th year in the NBA, still working 18 years after diagnosis. “I’m trying not to be in the group that is a strain on my family, the state, the United States,” Gabriel said.
Constant change now defines his life, but one thing never changes — the love and support he receives from his family.
Photo Courtesy of Orlando Magic
“I don’t know what I’d do without them,” said Gabriel. “I said to my doctor at Shands one day, ‘I don’t want Dorothy and the kids to have to go through this with me. I don’t want to drag them through it.’ And she just quite simply said to me, ‘This is a very tough thing to go alone.’”
Gabriel also gets support from Uber Eats, which has become a regular and important part of his lifestyle, especially on game nights.
“I don’t drive anymore at night,” Gabriel said. “We use Uber Eats quite a bit in our household. It’s a tremendous way at a small cost to have this available to you because many people don’t have the energy or the ability to cook for themselves, or it could be dangerous.
“I’ve never had a bad experience with them. They come on time, whatever you got, groceries or food, it’s sealed for protection and the world is their menu. The world is their menu. And even if we order from three different places, we’ll do it so that I can get a Mediterranean diet, somebody can get a pizza and somebody can get some carbs that we don’t need. Uber gives you some freedoms for sure.”
John Gabriel continues to adapt to whatever life throws at him and works hard to support, encourage, and inspire others to keep pursuing their passions no matter the challenges.
Gabriel said, “I feel like it’s our responsibility to say, ‘You got a lot of life to live. Squeeze that orange as hard as you can. There’s more juice there.'”
Download the Uber app https://p.uber.com/growing-bolder and turn on a senior account to help you ride confidently.
