Newport Harbor grad who had Broadway wish granted, continues moving forward
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Gabriella Earnhart attacks life with vibrancy.
She describes herself well in a single sentence: “I’m constantly creating something in whatever capacity I can.”
Her home in Costa Mesa is close to her alma mater, Newport Harbor High School, where Earnhart works as a brand and community coordinator for the performing arts program she participated in before graduating in 2023.
Earnhart faces a threat that’s not always outwardly apparent, Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue all over her body.
The 6-foot-1 Earnhart has an enlarged aorta, and the syndrome leaves her at increased risk for emergencies such as her lungs collapsing or retinas detaching. She sometimes needs to use a wheelchair to get around.
“I’d say that probably the most pervasive aspect of the illness is just chronic pain and chronic fatigue,” said Earnhart, 20, who had spinal surgery in 2018 for scoliosis that is often associated with Marfan syndrome patients. “Something always hurts all the time.”
Still, Earnhart tends to look on the positive side of life. She has met some of her best friends through nonprofit the Marfan Foundation.
Her family moved from Chicago to Orange County when her father, David, got a new job while Gabriella was in high school. Settling into her new surroundings, Earnhart started seeing David Liang, a Hoag Hospital doctor who specializes in treating Marfan syndrome.
Liang recommended her for Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire.
Her wish itself wasn’t very specific.
“I wanted something where I could travel to a cool place, and I wanted something that is theater related,” Earnhart said. “Something that I can dress up and enjoy the fun things.”
The theater kid’s wish was granted by Make-A-Wish in June 2024. Earnhart and her mother, Heather, were treated to a trip to Broadway.
The reveal was special to her, as it happened in front of the bell tower on campus as she was preparing to direct junior actors in a production of “Alice In Wonderland.” Her mom, coworkers, high school students and theater camp kids were all present.
“That was the first time in my life that I’ve ever actually been surprised by something,” she said. “I was not expecting it all. It was a beautiful moment. Sometimes the kids will run into me at the grocery store and they’re like, ‘Miss Gabriella! I remember when we had cupcakes for your wish!’ It’s fun to have those memories in that place.”
She saw two musicals on the New York trip, “Merrily We Roll Along” and “The Great Gatsby.” Earnhart also got to attend a theater awards show, plus the after-party.
“We just had the best time going to the Met, trying new restaurants [and] shopping for jewelry for the awards show at midnight in Times Square,” she said.
She remains involved with Make-A-Wish. Earnhart spoke at the foundation’s “It’s In The Bag” fashion show and luncheon, held April 27 at the Waterfront Resort in Huntington Beach.
“It really is inspiring to see how our wish kids take so many challenges and turn them into positives, and to see how the wishes that we grant really have an impact on the trajectory of where their future takes them,” said Anne Grey, Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire’s president and chief executive. “It gives them the feeling that anything is possible. It’s so wonderful, and Gabby really embodies that, which I think is amazing.”
Though Make-A-Wish is often associated with children with terminal illnesses, Grey said about 70% of the organization’s kids live on to adulthood.
“What can be so deceiving is that they can look healthy on the outside by all appearances, but the highs and lows of dealing with a critical illness throughout your life do have those valleys where it’s really a struggle,” she said. “Having the ability to look forward to a wish or look back on your wish, how that was a great time, getting through the hard times and staying strong is something that a wish makes possible.”
Earnhart, who has taken two gap years since graduating from high school, has focused on working both at Newport Harbor and the Sunflower Design Co., a hand-lettering and painting business.
She is now taking the next step, leaving Newport Harbor and enrolling at Pepperdine University, where she’ll start studying musical theater and marketing in the fall.
She knows that her Marfan syndrome will likely affect her life in the performing space, but she’s still making that choice to pursue the arts. Experiencing her Broadway wish come true no doubt gave her inspiration.
“It was just really lovely to be able to combine the arts and this wish,” Earnhart said. “It felt like a very culminating moment for me.”
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