Seven-year-old Reyna Montalvo, Little Miss Wheelchair Texas 2009, proudly represents Shriners Hospitals for Children— Houston at a variety of fundraisers and other events.

Reyna said she “felt like a princess” when she was received her tiara at the black-tie event at the Galleria hotel ballroom in Houston.

But the adventurous girl traded her tiara for protective gear when she recently rode a zip-line at the Summer Camp For All.  In addition to zip-lining, her adventurous spirit has led her to try water-skiing and taking to the roller skating rink in her wheelchair.

Reyna became a patient at Shriners Hospitals for Children— Houston only weeks after being born with arthrogryposis, a condition in which the muscles are contracted, which  limits the use of arms and legs. Due to the limited use of her limbs, Reyna has adapted to overcome daily challenges. For example, she uses an electric wheelchair which she controls with head motions, and she uses her mouth to hold a pencil or pen to write, color and flip pages in books as she’s reading.

Reyna, whose name in Spanish means “queen,” has become a local celebrity and patient ambassador who recently helped crown the new Bayou Bowl Queen Chloe Short and King Gary Lynn, who are also Shriners Hospitals for Children patients. Bayou Bowl is an annual fundraising football game held in June that benefits Shriners Hospitals for Children— Houston.  The three ambassadors also made an appearance at the Bayou Bowl Golf Tournament the day before the game, which featured celebrity golfers including former Rockets basketball star Robert Reid.

“Reyna has succeeded in overcoming many, many challenges. She is a great role model for younger girls and she’s beautiful both inside and out,” said Ana Calvo, a patient care coordinator at Shriners Hospitals for Children— Houston. In addition to her duties at the hospital, Calvo is Ms. Wheelchair Texas 2009, and will be competing for the Ms. Wheelchair America title in South Dakota in August.