Ruby’s Journey - Hippotherapy Fund
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Ruby’s Journey (full story here )
On Friday, September 30th 2011 our joyful 2-year-old little girl, Ruby Marie Weeks , kissed her Dad and Mom goodnight and went to sleep. Like so many nights before, Ruby laid in her bed singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” until falling peacefully to sleep. The next morning, Matt and Melissa (her parents) found her seizing in her crib, drenched in sweat and vomit. Paramedics were called and she was rushed to the hospital as her seizure refused to relent. While she was witnessed to have seized for about an hour, we will never know the extent of her seizure before she was found. Ruby was airlifted to a Pediatric ICU in Los Angeles where her symptoms and continued seizures challenged the doctors on her case. To this day we do not know what caused her prolonged seizure. As a result of the length of the seizure and the resulting permanent left-hemisphere brain damage, Ruby was paralyzed on the right side of her body and lost her ability to speak. Ultimately, she has been diagnosed with a sight disorder, epilepsy, hemiplegia, cerebral palsy, dystonia (involuntary muscular contractions), developmental speech and language disorder, and learning difficulties.
Since her seizure, Matt and Melissa have worked diligently to rehabilitate Ruby through prayer, neurology appointments, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and constant encouragement. They also have Ruby participating in gymnastics, aquatic therapy, and ballet, which will all help her to develop the right side of her body so that it keeps up with the left (the brain’s tendency in a case like Ruby’s is to ignore the impaired muscles). Over the past 4 years, Ruby has relearned to walk, run, speak, use her right arm and hand, and even swim! She has been seizure-free for several years now. Her physical and mental abilities today exceed many of the expectations of her primary neurologist, for which credit is due to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are so proud of how hard she has worked and how far she has come. That said, she continues to struggle with her cognitive and physical abilities and her mom and dad are steadfastly determined to provide her with every opportunity to have the best life she can have. To that end, treating Ruby at The Shea Center in San Juan Capistrano, CA (www.sheacenter.org) is a wonderful opportunity to help her continue to improve her motor and cognitive skills. Hippotherapy (treatment with the help of a horse) is a comprehensive treatment strategy which has been shown to help improve muscle strength and flexibility, coordination and balance, language and communication skills, ability to process information, self-confidence, and social skills – all of which will help Ruby tremendously.
Unfortunately, the therapy is very expensive (~$550 per month for one session per week) and not covered by the family's medical insurance. In order to make this therapy possible for Ruby, we (Ruby's grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) have started this campaign to help her and her wonderful parents raise the money needed to proceed. Our goal is to fund Ruby's treatments for one year!
On behalf of Ruby's entire family, we express our sincere gratitude for your support.
On Friday, September 30th 2011 our joyful 2-year-old little girl, Ruby Marie Weeks , kissed her Dad and Mom goodnight and went to sleep. Like so many nights before, Ruby laid in her bed singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” until falling peacefully to sleep. The next morning, Matt and Melissa (her parents) found her seizing in her crib, drenched in sweat and vomit. Paramedics were called and she was rushed to the hospital as her seizure refused to relent. While she was witnessed to have seized for about an hour, we will never know the extent of her seizure before she was found. Ruby was airlifted to a Pediatric ICU in Los Angeles where her symptoms and continued seizures challenged the doctors on her case. To this day we do not know what caused her prolonged seizure. As a result of the length of the seizure and the resulting permanent left-hemisphere brain damage, Ruby was paralyzed on the right side of her body and lost her ability to speak. Ultimately, she has been diagnosed with a sight disorder, epilepsy, hemiplegia, cerebral palsy, dystonia (involuntary muscular contractions), developmental speech and language disorder, and learning difficulties.
Since her seizure, Matt and Melissa have worked diligently to rehabilitate Ruby through prayer, neurology appointments, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and constant encouragement. They also have Ruby participating in gymnastics, aquatic therapy, and ballet, which will all help her to develop the right side of her body so that it keeps up with the left (the brain’s tendency in a case like Ruby’s is to ignore the impaired muscles). Over the past 4 years, Ruby has relearned to walk, run, speak, use her right arm and hand, and even swim! She has been seizure-free for several years now. Her physical and mental abilities today exceed many of the expectations of her primary neurologist, for which credit is due to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are so proud of how hard she has worked and how far she has come. That said, she continues to struggle with her cognitive and physical abilities and her mom and dad are steadfastly determined to provide her with every opportunity to have the best life she can have. To that end, treating Ruby at The Shea Center in San Juan Capistrano, CA (www.sheacenter.org) is a wonderful opportunity to help her continue to improve her motor and cognitive skills. Hippotherapy (treatment with the help of a horse) is a comprehensive treatment strategy which has been shown to help improve muscle strength and flexibility, coordination and balance, language and communication skills, ability to process information, self-confidence, and social skills – all of which will help Ruby tremendously.
Unfortunately, the therapy is very expensive (~$550 per month for one session per week) and not covered by the family's medical insurance. In order to make this therapy possible for Ruby, we (Ruby's grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins) have started this campaign to help her and her wonderful parents raise the money needed to proceed. Our goal is to fund Ruby's treatments for one year!
On behalf of Ruby's entire family, we express our sincere gratitude for your support.
Organizer and beneficiary
Cindy De Pretis
Organizer
Pleasanton, CA
Matthew Weeks
Beneficiary