Gabi Shull is a competitive dancer, cheerleader, and an ice skater from Missouri. The 15-year-old is also a cancer survivor and had amputated her right leg followed by the treatment. But nothing could stop this brave girl from achieving her dreams.
When Gabi was 9-years-old, She fell and hurt her right knee while ice-skating with friends. After three weeks, she was taken to hospital due to constant pain. Doctors found nothing wrong in her x-ray. But with in a month, the swelling became noticeable and she was still suffering from pain. They returned to the same hospital and the doctors assumed it to be a stress fracture. Gabi was put on crutches and an MRI scan was scheduled. On March 10, 2011, just after the MRI scan, Gabi’s parents received the shocking news from their family physician that Gabi’s condition was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer that eats tissue and weakens the bone. The heartbroken family consulted an orthopedic and Gabi underwent a surgical biopsy. But the result pointed to the same condition. The 9-year-old girl who loved dancing and dreamed to be a dancer, thought she could never make her dream true.
Followed by the continuous hospital stays and chemo treatments, Gabi’s family chose Rotationplasty over other treatments suggested by doctors. It involved removing her affected knee and replaced it with a healthy ankle by rotating the foot at 180 degrees. After the surgery, Gabi is able to walk her own. But she really wanted was to dance. It was not an easy task. However the positive attitude of this brave girl and the support of her parents made her dance again. Gabi finished chemo in November 2011 and returned to her normal life, recollected all her ambitions and hobbies. After two years, She performed on her prosthetic leg at her first dance competition. Since then she is competing in many dance forms and she has even managed to become a cheerleader.
Now Gabi Shull, the 15-year-old is a competitive dancer, cheerleader, athlete, and a national spokesperson. This inspiring girl reminds us nothing is impossible.