Gabi Shull began dancing when she was just 6 years old. For three years, she followed her passion until one fateful day in 2011 when she fell while ice-skating.
At first, Shull and her parents thought her bruised knee was a result of the fall. They didn't think much of it. After a few weeks, however, the bruise didn't seem to be healing, so Shull and her family went to the hospital for X-rays.
Doctors assumed the injury was a stress fracture, but after getting an MRI scan, they received devastating news. The 9-year-old girl had osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that attacked her body in such a way that her leg would have to be amputated from the knee down.
The brave little girl decided on a surgery that would allow her the most mobility after she recovered.
You may think that Shull's passion for dance fizzled after the loss of her leg, but this surgery was just the beginning of a brand new adventure.
Scroll through below for a look at her incredible journey and watch the video to see Shull in action!
[H/T: Daily Mail]
Gabi Shull and her family decided on a rather rare surgery after finding out the young girl had bone cancer in her leg.
It was important to her that she could go back to living a normal lifestyle after her amputation.
Surgeons reattached Shull's foot where her knee used to be in order to give her mobility by bending her ankle.
"There are about 12 rotationplasty surgeries every year in the United States, it's just not a common surgery," Mrs. Shull explained to Daily Mail.
Learning to walk again wasn't easy, but Shull was determined. The thought of dancing again was her motivation.
"The surgery has allowed me to do so much more than I expected and I would never go back and change it," Shull told Daily Mail.
It took her one year from the point of her surgery to walk again without assistance.
After that, she began working with personal trainers to learn how to dance again.
One year into her training sessions, the unstoppable little girl was back onstage dancing again.
Despite everything she had been through, her love of dance pushed her forward.
Shull acts as an inspiration for young people diagnosed with cancer to overcome their hardships and pursue their dreams.
Through the Truth 365 campaign, Shull has given a voice to children just like her.
Shull's experience has inspired her to go into the medical field to specialize in pediatrics and work towards a cure for cancer.
If anyone can do it, we know this little girl can!
"She is a determined kid and none of us view her as disabled," Shull's mother told Daily Mail.
"At times, we forget that she has the prosthetic."
If you'd like to learn more about Shull and her work with the Truth 365 campaign, check out their website.
Watch the video below to see Shull talk about her unique surgery and dance on pointe!
Do you have anyone in your life that has overcome such incredible adversity? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to SHARE with the inspiring people in your life.
