Ninewells staff take the floor for Ruby

NHS heroes dance The Macarena in memory of special Inchture girl

NHS heroes have remembered the special qualities of a brave Tayside six-year-old who died earlier this year in a dance routine honouring their colleague’s daughter.

The pharmacy department staff at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee organised the routine in memory of fellow worker Claire Stewart’s daughter, Ruby, who lost her battle with a rare form of cancer in January.

Ruby was just four when she was diagnosed with stage four alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer.

She underwent many cycles of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and endured numerous admissions to hospital before the disease took her life earlier this year.

In the midst of the pandemic, pharmacy staff thought it was appropriate to raise awareness of the young girl’s special qualities as something to which people could aspire during the current challenging times.

They mastered the dance steps of one of the Inchture youngster’s favourite songs, The Macarena, holding up cards with inspirational words of strength, courage, positivity and resilience during the routine.

The video urges people to Be More Ruby, in reference to a charity set up in her memory to raise funds for research into rhabdomyosarcoma through a Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) special named fund.

Pharmacy staff across Tayside continue to support the charity by participating in various events and, most recently, supporting the sale of lanyards and pin badges.

Ruby’s mum Claire, the pharmacy technical services lead for Ninewells, said: “The support of pharmacy colleagues has been fantastic, I’m so grateful to them for wanting to share my amazing daughter’s positive message.

“The pharmacy dancers may be small in number, but they are delivering what I hope is a strong and clear message of strength, courage and having fun, which is exactly how Ruby lived her life.

“I’m really proud and grateful to all of them, including everyone behind the scenes, for their continuing contribution and dedication to both their work and to Be More Ruby.

“Ruby’s lasting legacy is to encourage people to be more like her; brave, happy, fun, enthusiastic, energetic, full of laughter and love and wanting to help people.

“The message for all of us is to try, even in these challenging times, and be a bit more Ruby.”

Following Ruby’s death, Claire and husband Andy set out to honour her memory by raising £3,000 for staff and patients in ward 29 at Ninewells, where she was treated, smashing their total by hundreds of pounds.

The youngster’s love of unicorns also became the inspiration for a book titled The Unicorn With The Ruby Horn, which was released to raise funds for the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG).

Ruby was heavily involved in the creation of the book, which has netted more than £15,000 for the charity.