Ruby’s Incredible Reach

There is no doubt that many are terrified of needs like Hydrocephalus, Cerebral Palsy, Quadriplegia, Epilepsy, Spina Bifida, rare chromosomal anomalies and a host of other things.

And I readily admit that 30 years ago some of those things would have completely freaked me out.  But as we grow into a deeper understanding of God’s gracious, inexplicable love, over time, has a way of working on our ‘fraidy-cat hearts’.   And suddenly, when we see a precious face our fears melt and the race is on!!  We then can’t get to our waiting treasures fast enough!!

Obviously with so many ‘involved’ needs, the future can be uncertain.  And yet, God in His beautiful ways works behind the scenes  in out-of-the-box extraordinary ways!!

Ruby’s life is a testimony to that!!

Who would have guessed as she lay abused, starving and dying in the hot african sun that one day her spectacularly beautiful, now joyful face would pose as a model for United Cerebral Palsy gracing the change containers at Circle K’s all over the valley of Central Arizona?  Who would have guessed?  Only our extraordinary God!!

A few months back I received a phone call from Phoenix Children’s asking if I would be willing to come to a Hydrocephalus Symposium to share about Ruby while sitting on a panel.  I jumped at the chance and said ‘yes’ immediately!!!   What an honor and what a joy to share what God has done in our sweet chica’s life!IMG_2026Dr. Shafron texted me later that same night to tell me ‘thank you’ for saying I would come and share her story.  He adores our girl!!  Rumor on the streets is that she just might be his fav!

It was a beautiful time and I was able to hold a shunt.  I’d never seen one up close before!  So thankful for God giving such skill to the men and women who design and build shunts!IMG_2076

 

 

 

Dr. Shafron was the main speaker and had asked if it was okay to share one of Ruby’s MRI pictures.  Looking at that picture as he spoke caused me to well with tears.  It is truly miraculous what God has done in her life!!  If you are familiar with MRI slides at all, you will know that Ruby’s life is nothing short of a true God-sized miracle! IMG_2085What an opportunity I had to share about Ruby!!  I was able to tell just how powerful our healing God is and how He used the skilled hands of Dr. Shafron to work in a life-changing way for Ruby.  I didn’t hold back anything!!  I showed the “before” picture poster and a gorgeous healed Ruby.  The crowd was so moved!!  Oh how God loves the orphan!

Friends, when we say “yes” God shows His powerful love, healing and miracles in crazy ways!! Even to crowds of unsuspecting folks!!

He loves the orphan more than we can ever begin to imagine and He longs for every broken-bodied little one to be in a forever family where they are loved, cherished, protected and nurtured.

Don’t be afraid of the Rubys, the Vernons, the Birdies, the Jubilees out there.

We only have one life to live.  Give yours away!!  You will never, ever, ever regret it!!  

God will do such crazy, unexpected, ginormous stuff when you love His broken-bodied treasures big!  IMG_2099Dr. Shafron and I.

4 thoughts on “Ruby’s Incredible Reach

  1. Absolutely love the opportunities He is bringing to you to share Ruby’s story!! I still want a front row seat to hear it in person some day!! 😊 Praising God for the very good things He has done!!

  2. Love this. We are in the process of adopting a child with CP, epilepsy, and almost certainly some other as-yet undiagnosed needs. You’re exactly right – needs that we thought we couldn’t handle suddenly became completely do-able when we saw our child’s face and read her story. A good friend (also an adoptive mother) recently asked me why we’d decided to adopt again and to take on another child who might never live independently. “I don’t think there’s a better thing to do with the rest of my life,” I blurted out, and I hadn’t even realized that I felt that way before I heard the words come out of my own mouth.

  3. Linny, thanks for sharing that shunt picture. We are bringing home a little one with hydrocephalus and that was the first good photo I’ve seen of one. I love Ruby’s story. God is so good to let us in on what He is doing, isn’t He?

    1. Ruby has a very rare and very complicated form of hydrocephalus called “Multiloculated Hydrocephalus”. She has over 14 places (that her neurosurgeon and I can count together) that are filled with fluids. She’s had 5 brain surgeries…four of them to “fenestrate” (bore through them and cauterize) so the ones that are reachable could “communicate” with each other. One surgery to put the shunt in. Every day is a gift with her and she is a true miracle. I have seen many Hydrocephalus MRI’s and according to the experts in Hydrocephalus they say that they have never seen anything like hers – which again, prove the power of God that she is even alive, let alone bringing joy to people around the world! Ruby has an amazing fan club everywhere!

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