A precious gem from CHKD
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Four-year-old Ruby is a true gem, but her name is not the only reason why she's precious.
That word best describes how Ruby Stancill entered the world — precious, and tiny.
Ruby's mother, Heather Stancill, was pregnant for just 25 weeks when she gave birth, with Ruby weighing in at one pound, six ounces.
'Everything was about her weight,' Heather Stancill said. 'Trying to get her to gain weight. You know, get big.'
But there was a series of health issues before Ruby could get strong. She suffered necrotizing enterocolitis — a serious intestinal condition. She did x-rays every 12 hours and had a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) put in her thigh to administer her medicines. The PICC line is a long and thin flexible tube that's inserted into a vein in the upper arm to provide medicine, fluids, blood products and nutrition into a large vein near the heart.
'I mean it's crazy to see,' said Heather Stancill while fighting back tears.
Ruby still sees a number of specialists at CHKD. But her mother marvels at the journey.
'CHKD is like our second home,' Heather Stancill said. She added that, in the next few years, they all hope Ruby will not need to see specialists so much and will just be able to go to the doctor like a normal child.
But Ruby is on her way. Her streak of independence comes from a long struggle for something other children often take for granted.
'To go from one pound, six ounces to a feisty 4-year-old girl, you would never know [she] was in the NICU four 3 months fighting for her life,' Heather Stancill said.
There is plenty of fight left in this four-year old, especially when she has the strength of many walking with her.
This Virginia Beach family is combining gratitude with strength while loving on their little girl who is beating the odds. They will join thousands this Saturday in downtown Norfolk for the CHKD Run Walk for the Kids — an event emblematic of a child's desire to soar.
'The Run/Walk is just a way for us to give back to the hospital,' Heather Stancill said. 'It's hard sometimes as an individual to give back, so to have a team and raise money, a lot of my family is out of state, so it's their way to donate to our team and help support the hospital that saved her.'
There is strength in numbers. Be a part of this year's CHKD Run Walk for the Kids Saturday morning at Waterside in downtown Norfolk.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
H.C. Wainwright Initiates Coverage of Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA) With Buy Rating
Matthew Caufield, an analyst from H.C. Wainwright, initiated coverage of Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKBA) with a Buy rating and a $8 price target, on June 4. The analyst gave the optimistic rating due to the company's VAFSEO product and its potential in the CKD anemia market. VAFSEO is an approved treatment for anemia in adults with chronic kidney disease on dialysis. According to the analyst, the treatment is gaining considerable momentum among dialysis organizations, and this trend is anticipated to support near-term growth. He expects VAFSEO's ongoing launch to offset the effect of generics on AURYXIA, another product by Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKBA) that deals with hyperphosphatemia. A biopharmaceutical team in a laboratory analyzing new compounds to develop therapeutics. The analyst also reasoned that Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKBA) is positioned for success as it has secured contracts that cover almost all dialysis patients in the US. VAFSEO offers flexibility in its dosing regimen, ranging from 150mg to 600mg, making it a factor that allows for personalized treatment and potentially growing prescriptions. Caufield pointed out VAFSEO's oral administration as another reason supporting the optimistic rating, giving it an advantage over existing therapies, such as iron supplementation and erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKBA) is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes drugs to treat metabolic and renal diseases. While we acknowledge the potential of AKBA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Migratory birds develop antibodies to bird flu, officials say
(WAVY) – Wildlife officials are keeping a close eye on the spread of avian influenza after along the North Carolina coast earlier this year — most of them brown pelicans. The outbreak has since been linked to the H5N1 strain of bird flu, a virus that continues to mutate and occasionally jump to other species, raising concern among experts. Miranda Turner, a wildlife health biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said the area is a prime wintering ground for birds — making it easier for disease to spread. 'When you bring a lot of animals together and you have them traveling from different locations, it's a really good way to transmit diseases,' Turner said. In Hampton Roads, bird flu outbreaks aren't new. Lisa Barlow, president of T recalls treating sick and dying Canada geese during a 2021 outbreak on the Lafayette River. 'We dealt with about three to four dozen Canada geese that came in sick and dying,' Barlow said. 'Only six survived the flu, and even those had to be euthanized due to severe neurological symptoms.' Barlow described birds arriving unable to hold their heads up, their beaks caked in mud. Many died within 24 hours. As the virus continues to affect wildlife, it's not just birds at risk. , including seals, cats and even cattle. Experts say it's mutated at least several times since it was first identified. 'I mean, anything that can do that — it's kind of frightening, but amazing,' Barlow said. Despite the concerning spread, health officials emphasize the risk to humans remains low. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70 human cases have been reported nationwide, including one death. Most infections have been among people with repeated exposure to infected animals, such as poultry or dairy farm workers. 'There's really low risk,' Turner said. 'Still, it's a good idea to clean bird feeders regularly and wear gloves or a mask if you handle injured wildlife.' Barlow also urges caution for those who come across sick birds. 'If you do want to help, wear gloves, protect yourself,' she said. 'Common sense goes a long way.' Meanwhile, as migratory birds continue to interact and spread the virus, some are developing natural antibodies, according to Turner. 'They're bouncing back and creating herd immunity,' she said. Last week, the Associated Press reported the in funding meant to support Moderna's development of a bird flu vaccine. The vaccine, which uses mRNA technology similar to the COVID-19 vaccine, had shown early promise in clinical trials. For now, wildlife officials say they expect to see more outbreaks in the years ahead, especially during peak migration periods. 'Because this virus is so common in migratory birds, it is likely that we will continue to see cases here and there every winter,' Turner said. As of right now, there have been no confirmed human cases of H5N1 in Virginia and although the risk remains low for humans, for birds it can be extremely deadly – leading to large die-off events like the ones we saw near Cape Hatteras. 'Unfortunately, this was the first kind of major large scale mortality event… while it looks really bad at that small scale of seeing 300 brown pelicans die – it's not impacting their population as a whole or the species as a whole,' adds Turner. Turner also explains that the surviving pelicans are still there, 'The brown pelicans that did survive that event were still nesting on that island successfully and are doing well. So really, it's a short scale kind of scary looking event, but nothing that raises alarm for biologists in the long term.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Uptick in tick bites reported in Central Pennsylvania emergency rooms
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — With summer temperatures reaching Central Pennsylvania, emergency rooms are noticing an uptick in ticks. 'The seasons are now changing and so we're doing a lot more outdoor stuff,' said Nsikak Daniel, M.D., an emergency room physician at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown. 'Ticks are just one of those things you kind of get when you go out into the woods.' While children and older adults may have the most adverse reactions to tick bites, everyone should take precautions. Juniata College receives approval from state nursing board for new nursing program 'Wear clothing that covers you up, you know, socks and stuff like that with your shoes. Insect repellents sometimes can help,' Daniels said. Lyme Disease is a common illness carried by ticks, often characterized by a bullseye–shaped rash around a bite. While it's become more prevalent, Daniels said it's not the only thing you should worry about. 'One of the complications a lot of people don't think about is something that's called anaplasmosis. It's a very serious, tick borne illness and it's something that can affect your bloodstream. It can affect your organs and cause organ damage,' Daniels said. If you get bit and have any concerns that you did not remove the tick or notice signs of infection such as fever or a rash, you should go to the emergency room immediately. Veterinarians also said they're seeing a rise in bites and infections in dogs. They said the best way to keep your furry friend safe is to use medications and repellents, mow your lawn and avoid high risk areas like tall grass and wooded areas during tick season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
