Ruby Chapman

Ruby’s birthday was June 17th, she made it to big number 5! While we feel incredibly lucky to have 5 amazing years with this angel, to say it was a bittersweet birthday is quite the understatement. Ruby’s health had been rapidly deteriorating and we knew her time was near. She passed away in our arms the morning of June 22. We’ve been there every step of the way with our baby girl, through thick and thin, and we are grateful to have been there in the end to see her off. While no parent expects to outlive a child, and few are equipped to handle a diagnosis like hers, we wouldn’t trade this time for the world.

Ruby was on two forms of life support amongst the myriad of medications & treatments she’s been taking for the better part of 4 years now. We’ve known all along that keeping her alive this way was artificial and potentially even controversial, knowing what lay ahead for our sweet girl the longer she lived. There is no cure, there was no hope, she had a horrible disorder that no one survives, it is simply a matter of “when”, not ‘if”. With all of that, we still gave Ruby every single experience we could, and we take pride in the fact that she never wanted for anything more. Ultimately, her body had had enough, and we had to let her go rather than continuing to be selfish. This was the most difficult decision of our lives, and we did not take it lightly. Ultimately, we had to remove ourselves from the equation and do what was right for our daughter…we had to be a parent in the most fundamental way. She left us with pure grace and went as peacefully and quickly as we could have asked. Even through the thick of watching her go, she managed to make us laugh and show us that she loved us both.

To be honest, when it comes to the afterlife, we don’t know what we believe. But, if there is something, you better believe Ruby is getting some sort of VIP treatment. Our little trooper made an impact on every person that was lucky enough to meet her; experience her glowing smile, look into her stunning eyes, or the real crown jewel, hear one of her laughs. The most common word used when experiencing Ruby was “angel”. There was just something about her calmness and joy in the face of tremendous difficulty and uncertainty that was nothing short of angelic.

A few important Ruby facts to leave you with…before getting too weak, this girl’s love of chips may only be rivaled by her own mother’s. She mastered the lasso (maybe not the toss) high above her head with her favorite rubber noodles and could be seen showing off whenever given the opportunity. Dancing (okay it was maybe just head shakes) was a daily activity and it didn’t take much to get the little Ms. going. To know her, was to hear her (before the tracheostomy of course). The noises Roo Roo was capable of making have still yet to be repeated by anyone but her. We’re talking ventriloquist level skill and mystery. Knowing her also meant hearing us, her family, as the most sure-fire way to get a smile or giggle out of Munchie-Moo was to scream, stomp, try out our best Kookaburra impersonations, Remmi barks, or Olivia having a meltdown. She loved a rough ride, whether it be in the car or her stroller, hell, she even enjoyed the few times she fell out of the stroller. She was a beautiful, one-of-a-kind kiddo, that will never be forgotten. We love you so much, stinker, feel free to haunt us any time.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, we ask that you hold a glass high in the cheers to this beautiful girl & remind her just how loved she was.