Karate kid Gabby Viola kicks back at bowel disease
MARY PICKELS  | Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, 1:33 a.m.
Her blonde ponytails and bare feet flying, the purple belt sheâs earned in karate cinched at her waist (the same belt dad Bill Viola Jr. earned many years ago), Gabby Viola appears happiest when in motion.
She kicks, jabs, spins, all with a look of determination surprising for a 7-year-old.
Gabby has been learning karate since the age of 2, and began competing at age 3.
North Huntingdon Townshipâs Allegheny Shotokan Viola Karate Dojo is, after all, the family business.
Viola puts his daughter through her paces as her mother, Jenn Viola, and brother, Will, 10 months, watch. Gabby is a member of Team âKumite,â an all-star travel team composed of martial artists from Allegheny Shotokan.
In July, Gabby placed first in sparring in the 7-year-old advanced category at the U.S. Open ISKA World Championships at Disney World.
Just a few months ago, it was unclear if Gabby, who will start second grade at Stewartsville Elementary School this fall, would be able to continue competing.
Struck suddenly
Having already worked her way up to her purple belt in karate, Gabby has her eye on acquiring her brown belt next.
âShe competes at the highest level of her age. ⊠She goes up against kids with black belts and she beats them all the time,â her proud dad says.
âIf my (students) are at that caliber I put them in that division all the time,â Viola adds.
Gabbyâs goal is to earn her junior black belt by age 10.
âThen at age 14, she would go after her black belt,â Viola says.
In May, after taking first place at a tournament in Albion, Pa., Gabby suddenly began bleeding after using the restroom.
Her parents immediately took her to the hospital, where she underwent a battery of tests.
âThey (doctors) thought she had a bacterial infection,â Viola says.
After a colonoscopy and biopsy, she was diagnosed with indeterminate bowel disease .
The illness, Viola says, has elements of both Crohnâs Disease and ulcerative colitis.
âIt was very scary at that point,â he says.
A treatment of oral steroids for inflammation has not helped.
The family recently visited Childrenâs Hospital of Philadelphia for a second opinion and to get more information. Gabby is trying a different round of treatment, her father says, and the family is hoping she will go into remission.
A new normal
Gabbyâs diet has had to change since her diagnosis.
âI canât have gluten, dairy or grain. And limited sugar. I love chocolate,â she says.
âSo weâre working hard on that right now,â her father says sympathetically.
âWeâre a very proactive family. We are trying everything, looking into holistic approaches. We want to touch on every possible solution,â Viola says.
Another student at the karate school has the same diagnosis, and his parents are able to share some advice with the Violas.
âShe has a buddy here who can help her,â Viola adds.
âThere is no cure. You can only fight to get it into remission. Thatâs what sheâs fighting to do,â he says.
No stopping her
Gabbyâs participation in the U.S. Open ISKA World Championships, Viola says, âwas a game-time decision.â
âWe were worried at first she wasnât going to be able to do it because of the diagnosis,â he says.
Gabby, however, never saw her health issue as an impediment.
She says she was confident she would do well, and believed she would take first place.
âIt didnât matter if she won or lost. We were just proud of her that she did it,â Viola says.
âKickingâ for others
On Sept. 3, Gabby will once again participate in the Kick-A-Thon to raise funds for the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegnerative Diseases event at Pittsburghâs Boyce Park.
The goal is to âkickâ Parkinsonâs Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Huntingtonâs Disease, stroke and Alzheimerâs Disease, according to the eventâswebsite .
Viola, who lost his grandmother to neurodegnerative complications, developed the kick-a-thon , along with former state Sen. Sean Logan, who developed the 5K after being diagnosed with Parkinsonâs Disease.
Her family believes she can be an inspiration to the other students in the dojo.
âSheâs so little and sheâs so strong. ⊠Thatâs why weâre sharing this story. We are all about hope,â Viola says.
âWhat does karate teach you, Gabby?â he asks his daughter.
âBe tough, and have courage,â she says.
Mary Pickels is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Mary at 724-836-5401, mpickels@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MaryPickels.
