Ruth makes a wish
Ritenour helps a dream come true through Make-A-Wish
January 29, 2014
Being diagnosed with a heart defect is a life-altering condition. Imagine it happening to a four-year- old girl.
Ritenour’s Make-A-Wish recipient this school year is one such girl: Ruth “Ruthie” Elizabeth Yarbrough.
On May 5, 2009, Ruth was diagnosed with a Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), called Hypo-Plastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). CHD is a broad category that defines heart defects and heart diseases which are not obtained during a person’s lifetime, but rather a part of their anatomy at birth.
“During my 20 week ultra sound, Ruth’s whole heart was not able to be seen clearly. Due to her little size and how she was positioned, we were asked to repeat her ultrasound in two weeks to get a better picture of her whole heart,” Ruths’ mother, Laura Yarbrough said.
Ruth’s specific CHD requires immediate intervention. With her condition, the left side of her heart did not fully develop.
“At first, we were stunned. There is an overwhelming sense of grief and helplessness. We grieved the idea of being ‘normal’,” Laura Yarbrough said. “It was scary to think what our little girl was going to go through and we could not do anything but wait and see.”
As Ruth waited for her new heart at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, she often spent her time lying in a hospital bed. During this time, she fell in love with many Disney classics.
“She loves ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Toy Story,’ ‘Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,’ ‘Finding Nemo,’ ‘The Lion King,’ and so many more. Even though she is now out of the hospital and able to run freely, she still enjoys these characters,” Laura Yarbrough said. “They act as her security blanket. She loves them all and seeing them and Cinderella’s Castle in person would make her dreams come true.”
Ruth and her family reside in Overland, MO within the Ritenour School District. She became connected to the Ritenour School District in May, 2012. Due to Ruth’s health problems and long term hospital stays, Ruth was diagnosed developmentally behind.
“Ruth began working with First Steps to help her meet developmental goals. Just before her third birthday, Ruth was introduced into the Ritenour family. In August, 2012, Ruth officially joined the Ritenour family at the Early Childhood Center. Ruth is currently in Miss Kay’s classroom four mornings a week,” Laura Yarbrough said.
Laura Yarbrough says she is progressing nicely at the Early Childhood Center, and that she loves taking the bus, and loves interacting with her teachers and classmates. She has made much progress since she first started last fall.
“Through Ruth’s struggles, strife, and beyond amazing achievements, we have learned more about love, patience, willpower, and the power of prayer than I ever thought possible. Ruth’s journey has given us a new perspective on life and what is important,” Laura Yarbrough said.
