Two days after her birth, Gabriella “Gabi” Leeanne Bilbrey’s biological parents, who had avoided medical care during pregnancy due to fear of deportation, decided to give her up for adoption. No one was aware that her legs had not developed in utero. When the adoption agency called Betsy and Travis Bilbrey, Gabi's adoptive parents, they were told Gabi had a disability and they were given 45 minutes to decide if they wanted to adopt her. Travis called his mom - Midge Bilbrey for advice. “Are you ready to be a parent or not,Travis?” Midge asked her son. “That’s the only decision you need to make. Nobody else knows what their child is going to be like until they’re born.” Despite her disability, Gabi lives life like any ordinary child, refusing to let her condition define her or stop her from doing what she loves.

Gabi has an American Girl doll in her bedroom that reflects her disability. Though she wears prosthetic legs she says she does not like them because they hurt. “She’s unstoppable, incredibly energetic and all over the place,” Betsy said.

Gabi reaches for a door handle outside of her backyard tree house in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Her father, Travis, built the treehouse for his adoptive daughter. “I like to play in here,” Gabi said.

Redpoint Climbing Center in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is one of Gabi’s favorite places to go. Climbing coach KC Ciresi, leads the group in leg stretches. Having no legs doesn’t stop Gabi from joining her team in the activity. When a teammate laughed and asked why Gabi was holding KC’s shoe, she responded, “We all have our way of doing things, and this is Gabi’s way.”

To get to the level-one rock climbing session, Gabi has to climb a flight of stairs to reach the starting point.

During a climbing session, Gabi reaches for a boulder while hanging 30 feet above the ground. Gabi’s physical therapist informed the family about the center's climbing program for children. "At first she said she didn't know because she was afraid of heights," Betsy said. "But she went to the very top the very first time. She did it, and then she liked it." Now in her second year with the program, Gabi attends climbing sessions every Wednesday.

Without restraints, Gabi reaches for the top of the most challenging wall in the gym, the boulder wall. Unlike the other climbers, Gabi has spotters due to their concerns about her disability, especially with unrestrained climbs. So far, her coaches won't let her go to the top of this wall due to safety issues, but Gabi is determined to reach the top one day.

Gabi joins a line with her first-level rock climbing group, looking for reassurance from her coach as the climbers are split into groups.

After climbing up a homemade ladder, Gabi brushes her teeth before going to bed. Travis built the ladder so Gabi could brush her teeth and wash her hands independently. "We want her to be independent,” Travis and Betsy said, “She likes being Independent and doing things on her own.”

Betsy reads a bedtime story to her daughter every evening. They maintain this nightly routine to soothe Gabi before sleep, a quiet moment of connection at the end of each day.

Despite her disability Gabi says she feels accepted by her peers. “The kids do pretty good with including her, and making her feel accepted,” Betsy said.