Post by Tanaya Roy

Braden Adams-Wheatley was born in São Paulo, Brazil. She was born with Hanhart syndrome, a rare congenital genetic condition affecting the musculoskeletal system, which resulted in her being born without limbs. At nine months old, she was adopted by a family in Utah after her birth mother determined that she could not afford the medical care her daughter required. Adams-Wheatley is one of 14 children in her adoptive family. Raised in Kaysville, Utah, Adams-Wheatley grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has credited her adoptive mother with encouraging her independence from an early age, including learning to navigate stairs on her own and participating in school dance programs. She later competed in dance competitions during high school, where she also developed an interest in makeup, both on and off the stage. Adams-Wheatley is transgender and later became a motivational speaker. She is also a beauty influencer who shares videos on social media demonstrating how she applies makeup and gets dressed using mobility equipment. By October 2023, she had amassed more than four million followers on TikTok, where many of her videos have gone viral. In 2022, she attended a Pride celebration at the White House, and in November 2023, she was seated in the front row at New York Fashion Week.

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