Giulia Gabrieli (1997–2011) was born on March 3, 1997, in Bergamo, Italy, to Antonio Gabrieli and Sara Lecchi, and grew up alongside her younger brother Davide in a loving, faith-filled family. From a young age she was known for her joyful, sunny personality, her love of travel, fashion, and shopping, and a natural talent for writing—a passion that would later become a powerful expression of her inner life. Deeply Catholic, Giulia cultivated her spiritual life through daily prayer, devotion to the Virgin Mary, and a joyful engagement with her community that inspired friends and family alike.

At age 12, while on a beach vacation with her family, Giulia noticed an unusual swelling in her left hand that doctors later diagnosed as an aggressive sarcoma. Over the next two years she endured intensive chemotherapy and treatments, yet she faced her illness with remarkable courage and faith, continuing her education and writing prolifically despite her physical decline. She even completed her school exams at home when illness prevented her from attending class, and her writings were later collected in the book Un gancio in mezzo al cielo (“A Hook in the Middle of the Sky”). Giulia died peacefully on August 19, 2011, at the age of 14