Gabrielle Rich Aouad grew up in Switzerland where she graduated from Aiglon School. She went on to graduate with honors from Oxford University in England, earning her B.A. in philosophy and modern languages. Fluent in five languages, Gabrielle was also a champion skier, an expert in horseback riding and a skilled rock mountain climber.
In the summer of 1991, she moved to New York and joined the NYU intensive film program where she met her future husband, Philip Aouad. At the tender age of 23, she was diagnosed with advanced stage Hodgkin's disease. Her strength and feistiness never failed through months of painful treatment.
By 1993, Gabrielle was at last in remission. This period of renewal brought great vibrancy and activity to her life. She and Philip got married. She became one of the finalists in the worldwide search to find a replacement for Isabella Rossellini as the face of Lancôme. She studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute. Her drive brought great success and many acting roles. In no time, Gabrielle had eight plays and seven movies to her credit. Her many film roles included playing a newscaster in "The Chase" starring Charlie Sheen and a seductress in "Savage Hearts" starring Richard Harris. In addition to her acting skills, Gabrielle was a gifted writer. She wrote a screenplay, “Surprise” that she dreamed would one day be produced.
In May of 1996, she was diagnosed with AML Leukemia. Once more, she was treated with chemotherapy. She lost her beautiful long hair, but fought with fearless determination throughout her difficult and painful treatment. After going into remission for the second time, she was due for a bone marrow transplant. Her mother, Denise valiantly donated her own bone marrow to save her daughter's life. Upon receiving this gift Gabrielle said, "Mummy is giving me birth again."
Gabrielle’s last wish was to create a leukemia foundation (which she named The G&P Foundation for Gabrielle and Philip) that would help spare others the suffering that she endured. One of its goals would be to invest in research for a better cure for leukemia, so people would not have to suffer from the side effects and damage of chemotherapy and radiation. Gabrielle Rich Aouad passed away in 1996 at the age of 27 after a long and valiant struggle against AML Leukemia.
The work of The G&P Foundation continues in her honor and memory. Gabrielle’s strength and wisdom live on in her own words, "Love defies all pain, even death."
