Meet Our Champions

At just 7 days old, Ruby was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia, the most severe form of the disease. Her family soon learned what that meant: countless hospital stays, blood transfusions, and surgeries to manage the chronic pain and complications that come with the condition. By the time she was three, Ruby had already been admitted to the hospital more than 22 times. Today at 9 years old, she has endured over 40 hospitalizations, 18 blood transfusions, 7 surgeries, and lives with long-term complications like an enlarged heart and vision damage. Yet, Ruby faces it all with resilience and joy. For Ruby and her family, UMC Children’s Hospital has become a second home. From the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to the Cancer Center and beyond, her care team has provided not just expert treatment, but compassion and consistency. “Sickle Cell may be unpredictable,” says her mom, “but UMC never is.”