SCHOOLGIRL WHO LOST HER LEG TO RARE BONE CANCER AND HAD HER FOOT REATTACHED TO HER STUMP DEFIES THE ODDS TO PURSUE HER DREAM OF BECOMING A BALLET DANCER
A schoolgirl who had her leg amputated after developing a rare bone condition later identified as osteosarcoma has defied the odds to become a competitive dancer.
Ballerina Gabi Shull had been dancing for three years when, at just nine years old, she learned she had osteosarcoma in her knee – leaving her parents fearing the worst.
But thanks to a groundbreaking operation that saw her foot attached to her upper leg, along with incredible determination, the 14-year-old is now back on her toes and hoping to inspire others.
Gabi, from Missouri, first realized something wasn’t right after falling on her knee while ice skating in January.
At first her parents thought it was just a bruise, but after two weeks without improvement they took her to the hospital for an X-ray.
Initially doctors believed she had a stress fracture, but an MRI scan a few weeks later confirmed osteosarcoma.
Gabi’s mother Debbie said: “We went to the doctor and he told us the news. He said, ‘Your daughter has what we believe could be osteosarcoma.’
“We were shocked. He had to repeat what he said because I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think I’d heard him correctly.
“Gabi asked me why this had happened to her, and we told her that sometimes life brings unexpected challenges. We didn’t know why, but we would do everything we could to get through it together—and that’s exactly what we did.”
Gabi began 12 weeks of chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumor before surgery.
She was offered several treatment options, including different types of amputation, but the family chose the rare rotationplasty procedure, in which the affected knee was removed and her foot was rotated 180 degrees before being reattached to her upper leg, allowing her ankle to function as a knee.
The surgery gave her the best opportunity for mobility and movement.
Debbie said: “We talked about it with Gabi and started watching videos of children rollerblading, rock climbing, and water skiing after having rotationplasty.
“We learned that the biggest challenge with rotationplasty is how it looks. If you can move past that and focus on quality of life, you’ve gained everything and lost nothing.
“There are only about 12 rotationplasty surgeries each year in the United States, so it’s a very uncommon procedure.”
For Gabi, there was one thing motivating her more than anything else: her love of dancing.
“After I had my leg amputated, the first goal was simply getting me walking again and out of the hospital bed,” she said.
“But what truly motivated me to walk was the thought of dancing again because that’s what I wanted most.”
However, the journey wasn’t easy.
Gabi said: “It was painful at first. I was afraid to put weight on my leg, and then I had to regain movement in my ankle because it had become stiff at 90 degrees.
“It took about a year, along with several sessions with a personal trainer, before I could take my first steps without assistance. A year after that, I was back on stage dancing again.
“The surgery has allowed me to do so much more than I ever expected, and I would never go back and change it.”
Today, Gabi competes in dance and continues to inspire her teachers and fellow dancers.
She also uses her experience to help others through The Truth 365, a social media campaign that gives children facing cancer a voice.
The campaign raises awareness about childhood cancer, and Gabi serves as its national spokesperson.
Debbie said: “She has achieved so much more than anyone expected.
“She is incredibly determined, and none of us see her as limited. Sometimes we even forget she’s wearing a prosthetic leg.”
And Gabi has even bigger dreams for the future.
She said: “When I’m older, I’d like to specialize in pediatrics or work as a nurse or scientist helping to find better treatments for cancer.
“If I can overcome cancer, adapt to life with a prosthetic leg, and learn to do everything again, then I believe I can accomplish anything.”
