For the first six weeks of Ruby’s life, she was hitting all her milestone developments. But a few days after her six-week checkup, Ruby suddenly became incredibly sick. She was lethargic, vomiting, and even gasping for air.
Hayleigh and Aaron were immediately concerned, but assumed she had the nasty flu that was going around. Call it a mother’s intuition or a father’s love, but they decided to take Ruby to the hospital… just in case.
The local hospital didn’t have a pediatric unit, so Hayleigh and Ruby were immediately transferred to UC Davis Children’s Hospital, Sacramento’s only nationally ranked comprehensive hospital for children, with a deep roster of pediatric specialists. Ruby would need all of that expertise, because when she arrived, she stopped breathing altogether.
The doctors discovered that Ruby had a congenital heart defect. Acting fast, they placed her on an ECMO machine, the most intensive form of life support that does the work of the lungs and the heart. Doctors discovered that Ruby’s aortic valve was deformed and would have to be replaced, as she wasn’t getting enough blood and oxygen to her organs.
Ruby’s family met anesthesiologist Dua Anderson and cardiac surgeon Gary Raff, who shared the news that although something was very wrong with Ruby’s heart, they and the team at UC Davis Children’s Hospital were going to be able to help. Dr. Raff explained what was happening, the plan of action, and how they were going to keep Ruby alive.
The ECMO machine kept Ruby stable for a few days while the team prepped for open-heart surgery. And within hours of taking Ruby back to the operating room, Dr. Raff and the team returned to Ruby’s parents and family to share the good news that the procedure was successful.
Ruby wasn’t fully out of the woods yet, relying on a ventilator for a few more weeks to rebuild her strength. She even had to restart learning skills such as swallowing. But one by one, her systems and organs started to function again, showing everyone that Ruby was already a fighter.
