There is something about wearing a tutu, tights and a tiara while dancing in bright lights that can make any little girl feel like a princess.
Even 4-year-old Ruby Galbraith who gets around in a special wheelchair.
Despite being diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was 12-months old, Ruby doesn’t see herself as being different from other children.
The daughter of Daniel and Sarah Galbraith of Choctaw, Ruby recently participated in her first dance recital with a little help from mom, who whispered cues and gave an occasional push of her daughter’s wheelchair when needed.
Not one of those pushy dance moms like seen on reality TV, Sarah Galbraith said her daughter’s dancing debut was all Ruby’s idea.
“I was first concerned she would be a spectacle on the stage, but it was her idea,” Ruby’s mom said. “She did it herself, her two little feet tapped. It was really moving to a lot of people because they did not expect this.”
When Ruby was born, she had to be delivered early by an emergency C-section weighing in at a tiny 3 pounds, 4 ounces. In the first year of her life, Ruby appeared to be completely healthy, but as her first birthday drew near, her mother noticed she was not meeting physical development milestones.
Ruby’s left hand stayed closed all the time, her mom said. She was also a cranky baby and could not calm down.
“She was different from my other two,” Sarah Galbraith said, speaking of Ruby’s siblings, Emma, 14, and Mary, 6.
Once a specialist diagnosed Ruby with CP, her life filled up with therapy sessions. Today, she attends occupational therapy three times a week and physical therapy twice. She also participates in a special kind of therapy using horses.
Other little children often ask Ruby what is wrong with her, her mom said.
“She will tell them, ‘I cannot walk without help. Mommy helps me or my Kid Walk.’”
And just like other youngsters, Ruby likes to play outside but she uses a special tricycle a local company gave her.
Sarah Galbraith described the two items as “very expensive” but pointed to the generosity of other families in their same situation.
“People are very good about sharing items when their kids outgrow them,” she said.
The Kid Walk wheelchair Ruby uses has no seat, but instead helps stabilize her upper body, which lacks muscular development because of her condition.
Besides Cerebral Palsy, Ruby is completely normal, her mother said.
“She is extremely smart, above her age level,” Sarah Galbraith said.
The proud mom said her daughter never meets a stranger and has been an inspiration to her family.
“She is a beautiful, wonderful girl who has trouble moving her legs,” Sarah Galbraith said. “Besides that, she is perfect, she has this charm and is not embarrassed with her condition.”
Recently, during an outing to a fabric store, a customer asked Ruby how she was doing.
Her response, “I’m divine.”
Ruby’s six-year-old sister, Mary, didn’t know the definition of the word her sister used, which is something that happens quite often in the Galbraith household, her mom said.
“She has an aptitude for words… her vocabulary is like a grown-up,” the mom said. “She has compensated for what she cannot do in other ways.”
With Ruby’s personality like it is already, her mom has no doubt the 4-year-old might one day be a movie star.
“She is a blessing. Everyone that knows her is a better person because of it,” she said.
Since Ruby’s diagnosis, her family does not take life for granted.
Her siblings, Mary and Emma, are like mama hens’ when it comes to their little sister, Sara Galbraith said.
“She has made them better people. They root for the underdog,” she said. “They are not rude or hateful to other different people. As it stands, they realize how lucky they are.”
Next year, Ruby will attend Choctaw Elementary’s pre-kindergarten program. One day, she is expected to walk without assistance. Like the dance recital, that would be another dream come true.