22-year-old Gabe Adams-Whitley is now known to millions of social media users. More than two million people follow him on TikTok. There, he posts makeup tutorials, shares glimpses of his daily life, and shows how he copes with everyday tasks without arms and legs.

Gabe was born in Brazil with a rare condition, Hanhart syndrome, which leaves him without limbs. At just nine months old, he was given up for adoption. A large family from Utah, USA, later adopted him.

According to Gabe, at the time of his adoption, his adoptive mother was already raising a large family. She eventually had 13 biological children, and he became her only adopted child.

Gabe often credits his parents’ support with helping him become independent. From childhood, they tried to teach him to overcome difficulties without outside help.

However, his childhood wasn’t always easy. At school, the boy often faced bullying because of his appearance.

At that point, his mother gave him an unusual assignment: look in the mirror and name ten things he liked about himself. Afterward, she asked him to come to school and say something nice to ten different people.

This simple idea helped him change his outlook on life and taught him to focus on the positive.

When the bullying at school became too severe, Gabe transferred to another school for a while. There, he regained his confidence. Later, he decided to join a dance group—it was then that he rediscovered his interest in makeup.

Gabe began watching YouTube tutorials from popular beauty bloggers, adapting their advice to his abilities. Since he has no hands, he had to come up with his own ways of using brushes and sponges.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, he decided to try what he really wanted—making makeup videos.

He recorded his first videos at his brother’s house. He positioned the camera so that only his face and upper body were visible. But viewers began to question why the videos were filmed that way.

So Gabe decided to show his missing arms and legs from the very beginning. After that, his videos quickly gained popularity.

Today, Gabe admits he still can’t believe how much his life has changed.

He’s especially touched by the letters from parents who tell him their children watch his videos during breakfast, as well as messages from people going through difficult times.

Gabe says his main goal is to make someone’s day a little brighter and show that everyone is unique, no matter their circumstances.

He hopes his story will inspire people with disabilities, members of the LGBT community, and anyone facing challenges.

Gabe believes that differences are what make people special and shouldn’t be hidden; they should be celebrated.