A Story of Silence, Healing, and Finding One’s Voice

After a devastating childhood accident, Bradley L. Gabbert recovered the ability to walk and speak—but the deeper effects of trauma followed him for decades.

The Agreeable Child: A Yogic Journey from Tragedy to Triumph is his deeply personal account of passivity, anger, grief, and the gradual return to presence through breathwork, yoga, and self-reflection.

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Recovery Was Only the Beginning

On August 30, 1964, two-year-old Bradley was struck by a car in Sycamore, Illinois. After spending two weeks in a coma, he returned home unable to walk or speak. His physical recovery was remarkable, but the emotional consequences of the accident would remain largely unnamed for much of his life.

Decades later, Bradley began to recognize how deeply he had learned to remain quiet, compliant, and agreeable—even when doing so placed distance between himself and the people he loved most.

Through breathwork, yoga, and the support of a compassionate community, Bradley began a new kind of recovery—learning to remain present, express his needs, and reclaim the voice he had unknowingly surrendered.

“At two years old, I lost my voice. Sixty years later, I found it.”

Silence and Voice

How trauma, fear, and the desire to please can gradually separate a person from their own needs and choices.

The Body Remembers

How emotions that cannot be expressed may continue to appear through tension, anger, avoidance, or disconnection.

Breath and Presence

How simple practices can create the space needed to pause, listen inwardly, and respond with greater awareness.

This Book May Speak to You If…

You have spent much of your life trying to keep the peace.
You find it difficult to express your needs or make your own choices.
You are carrying the long-term effects of childhood trauma.
You are exploring breathwork, mindfulness, or yoga.
You are trying to become more present in your closest relationships.
You believe healing can begin later in life.

Why I Wrote The Agreeable Child: A Yogic Journey from Tragedy to Triumph

I first began writing because I could see that my passivity was getting in the way of my most important relationships. I had spent too much of my life giving my voice and choices to others—often at the expense of the people I loved.

This book became a way to understand where that pattern began, how it shaped my life, and what helped me begin to change. I share the story not because my healing is complete, but because finding my voice has given me a new way to be present.

“A beautiful testimony. The Author’s insightful journey from feeling invisible and hopeless to finding the power of his inner voice and presence.”

— MAK

The Journey from Tragedy to Triumph Begins with a Breath

Discover a deeply personal story of survival, silence, relationship, and the gradual courage to become fully present.