Family hopes to pursue specialist care for Ruby
Ruby Penney’s life changed the day she cuddled a kangaroo.
The bubbly 7-year-old from Pukerua Bay was on a family holiday to the Gold Coast in 2010 when, at a theme park, she left her parents’ side and went up to one of the animals. Afterward, her mum Rachel picked a tick off her.
What followed in the next seven months was the stuff of nightmares. Ruby went from an active and happy Kiwi kid to being unable to count to 10 or remember the alphabet.
She suffered fevers, hallucinations, abdominal pain and up to 70 seizures a month with ambulance rides and hospital visits part of life.
Today, Ruby is on eighthourly antibiotics and other medication to counter what has been diagnosed as Lyme disease.
‘‘ It was very scary, we thought we were going to lose her so many times,’’ Rachel said.
After specialist care in Australia and blood tests sent to the United States, a treatment of drugs – costing $600 a month – have improved Ruby’s symptoms.
She is back at St Theresa’s School fulltime but continues to endure seizures and other effects of the disease.
Every day is an ‘‘unforgiving and constant struggle’’, Rachel said with a huge personal and financial cost to her family.
The Ruby Red Trust has been established, to raise awareness of Lyme disease and help children like Ruby.
As part of a case study under way it is hoped Ruby will see a specialist doctor in the United States.
‘‘Lyme disease mimics other diseases and is incredibly hard to test for. We want doctors in New Zealand to be more vigilant in looking at the travel history of patients, because detected early, it can be beaten,’’ Rachel said.
Go to rubyredtrust.org.nz to watch Ruby’s video, more information on Lyme disease and how to donate.