NDNorth: Ruby's Big Day

About one week ago, our little Ruby went on an adventure. Ruby, her nanny Zhang Ayi, and the orphanage's doctor took the long car ride from the orphanage to Beijing to admit Ruby into the hospital. Ever since Ruby arrived at the orphanage, she has struggled with GI issues. Our nannies and the orphanage's medical staff have been working tirelessly to help her stabilize and gain weight, and we've had small successes, but for the most part Ruby has remained stable and without much improvement. 

The whole team had come to the conclusion that Ruby needed to be seen by doctors in Beijing, and that surgery might be her next option. She was admitted into the hospital Wednesday afternoon, and seen by the doctor almost immediately. After assessing her, the doctor scheduled some tests first thing the next morning. 

Ruby wasn't allowed to eat for four hours before her test, and then the doctors wanted her to wait until a few more hours after the test to eat. For someone who struggles with keeping food down, Ruby sure has a fantastic appetite, and so the fact that she managed to make it through the seven-hour fast without eating anybody was pretty heroic. 

She even had a good attitude about it. Mostly. At about the six-hour mark, an attending doctor came in to check on Ruby and see how she was doing. He walked over to her bed and looked down at her.

"Wow, what a cute baby!" he commented. Ruby looked up at him, hunger in her eyes, "You look tasty..." she seemed to say.

The doctor dangled his stethoscope in front of her face, "Look at this, cute baby, is it fun?" he said while trying to entertain her. "I'm going to eat you..." Ruby's eyes gleamed.

She licked her lips, staring up at the doctor hungrily. He seemed quite calm, despite having such a ravenous little one so near, and commented again at how adorable she was. We couldn't keep from chuckling at the hungry faces Ruby made while looking at the doctor. She's a little character for sure!

Ruby's nanny from our project up in Inner Mongolia traveled down with her to stay at the hospital during the first night, and then hand off care duties to a nanny from New Day Beijing. Zhang Ayi is one of our shift leaders, and is a sweet woman with two sons of her own. Ruby knows who her nannies are, and is so comfortable with them around. We're sure that she's doing well with the nannies from Beijing as well... as long as she isn't famished, Ruby is quite sweet. 

The doctors observed Ruby over Thursday and Friday, and determined by Friday afternoon that she needed to have surgery. All of the things that the nannies have been trying with Ruby over the last few months have been exactly what they needed to do, and because of that Ruby was stable and healthy enough to have her much-needed surgery. After hearing her medical history, Ruby's surgeon was concerned that she would not be healthy enough to have surgery, but he was pleased upon meeting her to see how well she looked. Bravo, nannies!

Princess Ruby had her surgery Saturday morning. The operation was supposed to take about two hours, but because of how tiny she is, it took five. Everything went well, and we look forward to watching our little gem gain weight and grow big and strong.

Update: Ruby was released from the hospital on Friday! She's not quite herself yet, but we hope that she will soon be smiley and growing and full of life.

You can contribute to her medical expenses here: www.newdaycreations.com/foster/children/ruby.htm