Gabby Bilbrey stops and stares at her American Girl Doll in her room on Wednesday, Nov. 12. "Sometimes I play with my American Girl Doll,” Gabby Bilbrey said. “She looks like me.”
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this gallery was published, referring to Gabriella Bilbrey’s nickname as “Gabby.” However, the correct spelling is “Gabi.” The gallery has since been updated. Talisman regrets this error.
Born without fully developed legs and adopted two days after birth, 8-year-old Gabriella “Gabi” Bilbrey has spent her life learning to navigate the world on her own terms. With the help of her adoptive parents, Bilbrey embraces the same joys, routines and adventures as any other child her age. From backyard swings to rock-climbing walls, she moves through her world with joy and creativity. Talisman magazine and website photographer Bradi Hawkins set out to capture a glimpse into Gabi’s world.
Gabriella, ‘Gabi,’ Leeanne Bilbrey, 8, swings in her backyard after school in Bowling Green on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Gabi Bilbrey was adopted two days after her birth in 2016. Her biological parents, who had avoided medical care during pregnancy due to fear of deportation, were unaware that her legs had not developed in utero. Despite her disability, Gabi Bilbrey lives life like any ordinary child, refusing to let her condition define her or stop her from doing what she loves.Gabi Bilbrey joins a line with her first-level rock climbing group as they play telephone during a Halloween party at Redpoint Climbing Center in Bowling Green, on Thursday, Nov. 6.Gabi Bilbrey rock climbs at Redpoint Climbing Center during her first-level climbing session on Thursday, Nov. 13. Gabi Bilbrey’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,” Gabi Bilbrey’s adoptive mother, Betsy Bilbrey, 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 Bilbrey attends climbing sessions every Wednesday.Gabi Bilbrey’s adoptive father, Travis Bilbrey, pretends to give her a kiss on the cheek with a new stuffed pig she crafted in their Bowling Green home on Monday, Dec. 1.Gabi Bilbrey climbs down a homemade ladder and sink extender after finishing brushing her teeth in her family home on Monday, Dec. 1. Travis Bilbrey built the ladder so Gabi Bilbrey could brush her teeth and wash her hands independently. Travis Bilbrey said it doesn’t take long to complete accessibility projects for Gabi Bilbrey. “It was more playing than actual doing,” Travis Bilbrey said.Gabi Brilbrey holds climbing coach KC Ciresi’s legs as Ciresi prepares to assign the first-level team to different climbing routes at Redpoint Climbing Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3.Gabi Bilbrey stops and stares at her American Girl Doll in her room on Wednesday, Nov. 12. “Sometimes I play with my American Girl Doll,” Gabi Bilbrey said. “She looks like me.”Gabi Bilbrey holds coach KC Ciresi’s shoe while the team does leg stretches before rock climbing at Redpoint Climbing Center on Wednesday, Dec. 3. When a teammate laughed and asked why Gabi Bilbrey was holding her shoe, KC responded, “We all have our way of doing things, and this is Gabi’s way.”Gabi Bilbrey climbs to the top of the boulder wall during her first level climbing class on Wednesday, Dec. 3. The boulder wall is the hardest wall for her to climb due to her balance.Gabi Bilbrey’s mother, Betsy Bilbrey, reads a bedtime story to her in their home on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Betsy Bilbrey said she maintains this nightly routine to soothe Gabi Bilbrey before sleep and that it is a quiet moment of connection at the end of each day.
