When Ruby was barely six weeks old, her parents’ intuition saved her life. What began as a presumed flu episode rapidly deteriorated into a harrowing crisis—one that revealed a serious and rare congenital heart defect. Thanks to swift action, advanced pediatric care at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, and a decade of resilience, Ruby is now thriving at age 10—and already dreaming of becoming a doctor.
A sudden collapse and the race against time
In the peaceful early days of motherhood, Hayleigh and Aaron believed this birth of their second daughter would be unremarkable. Their older child, Scarlett, was nearing age 2, and pregnancy and delivery of Ruby appeared normal. But a few days after Ruby’s six-week checkup, she began vomiting, gasping, and slipping into lethargy. Her parents acted quickly—and later discovered how critical that decision was.
Rushed from a local hospital without pediatric intensive care to UC Davis Children’s Hospital—the only nationally ranked, comprehensive pediatric center in the region—Ruby had stopped breathing entirely when she arrived. Doctors quickly placed her on ECMO, the life-support system typically used when both heart and lungs cannot function on their own. Investigations revealed a malformed aortic valve that prevented adequate oxygenated blood from reaching her vital organs.
Operating under immense pressure, the UC Davis cardiothoracic surgery team, led by Dr. Gary Raff, prepared to perform open-heart surgery. Meanwhile, anesthesiologist Dr. Dua Anderson and the rest of the multidisciplinary team supported Ruby’s fragile condition. After stabilizing her on ECMO, surgeons successfully replaced her defective valve.
Recovery was not instantaneous. Ruby remained ventilated for weeks, relearned to swallow, and faced additional complications involving her gallbladder and bile duct. Through it all, the hospital’s pediatric cardiac intensive care team—including Dr. Stephanie Mateev and Dr. Jennifer Plant—provided round-the-clock care, constant communication, and encouragement to the family. “They took care of our family as much as they took care of Ruby,” Hayleigh later reflected.
Eleven years later: hope, ambition, and giving back
Today, Ruby is a bright and active 10-year-old who continues to dance, play, and keep pace with her peers. She remains under periodic medical monitoring—but more remarkable is her vision for the future. She tells her family: “I want to be a doctor, like one that works with families … I’d want to go back to UC Davis Health, because they helped me so much.”
Fortunately, she has already experienced countless moments in which physicians and nurses went beyond treating disease. Her parents remember not only the clinical care but also the compassion—the patience, explanations, and support provided during the darkest hours. In many ways, the emotional and relational care became as meaningful as the surgeries themselves.
Her story resonates now as part of UC Davis Children’s Hospital’s 2023–24 annual report, spotlighting how interdisciplinary pediatric care and family‐centered service can transform lives. Its echo also lives in UC Davis’s October 2025 blog, re-narrating Ruby’s journey as one of hope, recovery, and purpose.
In Ruby’s own voice—and life—lies a powerful narrative: a fragile infant saved through cutting-edge medicine, who now aspires to carry forward the gift of healing.
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