Support for Ruby

Two weeks ago today we were leaving the ICU in Hastings and flown to starship PICU after thinking the day before that we were dealing with meningitis as our precious Ruby starting slipping into a coma, only to receive a devastating diagnosis of an extremely rare autoimmune disease, Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy caused by influenza A. Our lives were torn apart as we desperately hoped and prayed that she could keep hers. Four families came together that day to support each other and surround Ruby with all the healing love a child could ever wish for and after a couragious fight, 4 days on a ventilator, and against all odds she woke up and showed us her precious smile once again. Now as the crisis and initial trauma subside, we begin the long road to recovery and all the challenges that a brain injury brings but Ruby is so stubborn she continues to defy the odds and absolutely smashes expectations every single day! We are still in Auckland for the forseeable future and are holding on to hope that we may be able to go home for Christmas! I want to thank all our friends, families and everyone that has and continues to support us on this journey and the incredibly fast interventions Ruby received at Napier Health Centre and Hastings Hospital that gave her the best chance at recovery. The flight team from PICU and Starship that were absolutely amazing and of course Ronald Mcdonald House that made such an awful time a little bit more comfortable.