Be You

Artist and Songwriter: Bronson Arroyo (Featuring Gianna and Gavin Trebbi)

Turning Adversity Into Power

Ally Trebbi doesn’t like to say she survived breast cancer.  Instead she likes to say she, “thrived.”  When the acupuncturist and young mother of two children, Gianna (11) and Gavin (8), was diagnosed with the life threatening disease, she made a decision that she wasn’t going to let cancer defeat her or get her down.  “It changed my life in such a positive way.  I rose up from the struggles,” she says.

When Challenge Hit A Family

That’s not to say it was easy on her, her husband, or her children.  She knew that in order to get through the surgeries and treatments, her children would need support too.  “Many people don’t realize the toll that cancer takes on an entire family, or what the kids go through when they see their mother in pain and sick,” Ally says.  “I had to seek help for them and I found that through the Cancer Family Center.  Maintaining their mental health was a priority for me. They met with a therapist who came to their school every week or two for a few months.  They also attended Camp Courage, which gave them the space to talk about their fears — especially the ones they felt they couldn’t tell me.”

Kids Need Support

Although Ally told them they could always come to her, she knew they were trying to protect her and didn’t want to upset her.  “Kids take on a lot and it shows up in surprising ways,” she admits.  “Their anxieties would rise up — and as a result they would act up and be defiant during my treatment.  They were struggling and they were expressing it in the only way they knew how.”

Both children faced a number of challenges during this tremendously stressful time.  And both children handled their fears in different ways.  Gavin got through it by avoiding it.  After the cancer was gone, Gavin admitted, “I knew if I thought about it, I would cry.  So I just thought about something else.”  Gianna, however, let the insecurities, fear, and doubts creep into her thoughts and it began to affect her schoolwork.  “She began to doubt her abilities, and couldn’t concentrate,” Ally says.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Ally is completely cancer free now and both children feel confident in their own skin again.  “We’re moving on with our lives.  This has been a weird blessing in a way.  We love each other more.  We all recognized this is our one time to be here.  How we act and react, is our choice.  We can choose to grow from it and we can make the best of whatever comes our way.  You only have one chance to be you.”

A Happy Coincidence

So, it’s a happy coincidence that one of Ally’s acupuncture patients — famed Reds baseball player and musician Bronson Arroyo — happened to write a song “Be You” long before recording it with Gavin and Gianna (on background vocals) for this Hear The Hope featured song.

Ally had known Bronson for a long time and treated him while he played for the Reds.  So when Hear The Hope’s Toby treated Ally with a drum session after her mastectomy, she mentioned she knew Bronson.  And the rest is history.  Bronson was excited to come on board and help out.

The Kindness Of A Star

“I always love working with kids. I wrote “Be You” one night in Florida before speaking to a bunch of kids who I wanted to send a positive message to,” Bronson says.

When Bronson heard Ally’s story and what Hear The Hope does to help families in need, he was all in.  “I love to give back in any way I can.  Sometimes it involves music, and sometimes it involves doing something that makes people feel better,” Bronson says.  “In this case, and with this song in particular, I was doing both.  It was a win-win.  You give a little time and you give your love, and you have fun doing it.  And in the end, someone else benefits — which is just great.”

Not One But Two Celebs

Also included on this song is singer Eliot Sloan from the muti-platinum selling band, Blessid Union of Souls.  Bronson and Hear The Hope’s co-founder CJ are long time friends of Eliot so it was a no-brainer to see if he wanted to be involved.  Eliot said yes without question and now shares the lead vocal on this song with Bronson.

Bringing Hope To The Kids

Bronson knows how important it is to keep one’s spirits up during difficult times, and knows it’s especially tough for kids with all their dealing with.  He admires Ally so much for her spirit and positive attitude, and hopes kids everywhere can listen and sing along to his song and remember that the only job they have to do is to just be you— wonderful, fun, honest, true, and positively you— Because there is only one of you.

Song Credits

• Featured Song: “Be You”
• Our Heroes: Gianna & Gavin Trebbi
• Artist: Bronson Arroyo
• Composers: Bronson Arroyo & Eliot Sloan
• Vocals: Bronson Arroyo & Eliot Sloan
• Background Vocals: Gianna & Gavin Trebbi
• Instruments: CJ Lambert (acoustic, electric, & bass guitars), Toby Christensen (drums & percussion)
• Produced By: CJ Lambert & Toby Christensen
• Engineered By: CJ Lambert & Toby Christensen
• Edited, Mixed & Mastered By: CJ Lambert

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