6-year-old Rubi loves looking after her baby dolls… they always keep her company during her inpatient stays as she bravely fights non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Rubi’s mom noticed that her daughter’s face was swollen and that she was breathing heavier than normal. Concerned by these symptoms, Rubi’s parents rushed her to the emergency room.

After further testing, they were given devastating news…

On August 12, 2023, Rubi was diagnosed with T-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Rubi’s specific type of blood cancer is considered highly aggressive and fast-growing. Just a week before her diagnosis, Rubi was happily diving to the bottom of an 8-foot pool and retrieving rings. Her mom, Sally, who is a nurse, had not yet noticed anything out of the ordinary.

At the time of her diagnosis, doctors found a 13cm by 11cm mediastinal mass that covered her heart, lungs, and airway. The cancer had spread to her kidneys but thankfully had not yet hit her bone marrow.

She started treatment immediately and was in the pediatric ICU for her 5th birthday on August 14. Miss Rubi happens to be a big fan of police work and always dreamed of being a police officer. When her police-themed birthday party had to be cancelled, 104 police officers showed up to the pediatric ICU over 2 days to bring the party to her and show their support.

Since then, Rubi has endured many rounds of intensive chemotherapy to help her kick cancer’s butt for good. Unfortunately, Rubi developed a blood clot between the induction and consolidation phases of chemotherapy treatment and needed a thrombectomy to remove it - it was the first time her team had seen a blood clot that big.

Thankfully, she has been in remission since early 2024 and currently has less than 5 months of maintenance chemotherapy left. She is on daily oral chemo and goes into the hospital once a month for chemo through her port. 

Rubi has shown incredible strength of character throughout every phase of this cancer journey. She has battled treatment complications, worries, and fears, but has never lost her spirit, hope, or smile. She teaches her parents so much as they navigate this together, and they are endlessly proud of their little girl.

Finding the silver linings has also helped them cope with their darkest days. Rubi’s care team told them that Rubi’s active T-cells offered a unique opportunity for research.

In her mom’s words, “The research team shared that these cells could save many children in the future. Additionally, the blood clot protocol used for Rubi was considered a “Hail Mary” and has since provided a solution for other children with similar conditions.”

They want to keep sharing Rubi’s story to grow awareness of childhood cancers and contribute to creating better treatments with less toxic side effects. It’s their hope that her story will also inspire others to persevere in their own journeys and remind them why they’re riding in Great Cycle Challenge.

Her mom told us that though Rubi has been obsessed with law enforcement since she was 2 years old, she's now thinking that she might be a nurse instead. This incredible girl just wants to help everyone. 

Rubi, we’re going to ride our hearts out this September for you… you’re a ROCKSTAR!