As a little girl growing up in the mountains of Virginia, Grace Ruble decided that she wanted something very special for her 16th birthday.
A television commercial about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that Grace saw when she was 9 made such an impact on her that she resolved to mark her 16th birthday by giving toys to the children being treated at St. Jude. “That was my birthday wish, and my mom and dad and community and friends all made sure it came true,” Grace said.
She and her family — including her parents, grandparents and sister — recently made the 12-hour drive from their home in Bluefield, Virginia, to Memphis, where they delivered half a van-load of toys and more than $6,000 raised by Grace’s family and community. And they did it on her 16th birthday.
“This is something she has wanted to do for years,” said her father, Billy Ruble. “We finally got it all to come together.”
A sophomore at Graham High School in Bluefield, Grace plays volleyball and plans to be a lawyer when she grows up. She said she's grateful to everyone who made her birthday wish come true and hopes to continue supporting St. Jude in college through the collegiate fundraising program, Up ‘Til Dawn.
To encourage contributions before the trip, the family hosted a pig roast and cookout that featured local musical entertainment. People donated toys at the event and at other locations around Bluefield, which has a population of about 5,400.
Grace, center, with her friends at a pig roast and cookout she hosted to benefit St. Jude.
After years of waiting and planning to visit St. Jude, Grace was very excited to see the hospital. “It was more than what I expected,” she said. “All the artwork on the walls and everything so bright and everybody looked happy.”
During her tour, Grace found the ABC’s of Cancer Wall especially moving. This display of 26 pieces of art work, created by St. Jude patients, offers different perspectives on living with cancer. In this alphabet, H is for hope, G is for getting medicine and W is for warrior.
“That made me cry,” Grace said. “It touched my heart.”
If you want to share your birthday with the kids of St. Jude, visit Birthdays for St. Jude to learn more.
You, too, can help give hope to kids who are fighting life-threatening illnesses.
Read more inspiring stories
-
Doggy duo a perfect match for St. Jude
St. Jude hospital dogs have been training for their new roles since birth. Learn about how they were chosen for their work.
-
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
To mark 2019 National Hispanic Heritage Month, St. Jude is honoring some our dedicated Hispanic employees. Learn more about their work.
-
Paws at Play: St. Jude welcomes furry, four-legged colleagues
St. Jude child life specialists welcome Puggle and Huckleberry, the hospital’s newest employees. Read more about their journey and St. Jude Paws at Play.
-
Michael Moloney Designs for the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway
Michael showcases his interior design work in different houses for the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway each year.
-
Bone Marrow Transplant physician treats patients when they need more than the usual options
Ali Suliman, MD, of Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy, treats pediatric cancer patients when the usual therapies no longer work.
-
My Corner of the World: Cesar Villegas, MD
Clinical research associate Cesar Villegas, MD, leads effort to translate educational materials from English into Spanish.
-
Child Life specialist puts kids at ease
Amy Kennedy helps patients navigate difficult moments. Read about the child life specialist’s role at St. Jude.
-
Physician leads team’s effort to address patient safety
Hana Hakim leads program to ensure healthy, safe environment for patients, families and staff.
-
St. Jude LIFE Biostatistician Plays to Win in Pediatric Cancer Fight
Biostatistician Deo “Kumar” Srivastava helps researchers analyze St. Jude LIFE data.
-
Audiovisual technician delves into the science of sound
Eddy Garcia grew up surrounded by sound. Learn how his music career led to a role at St. Jude.
-
Clinical pharmacist’s career path winds to St. Jude
Clinical pharmacist Melissa Bourque dispenses the details of how her career in medicine took shape. Read more about her path to St. Jude.
-
Native Memphian overcomes challenges to find his niche at St. Jude
Senior hazardous chemical technician Terry Ivery disposes of personal challenges to find his niche. Read more about how his work cleans up labs across St. Jude.
-
Do what you put your mind to
Tangie Thomas, VP of Clinical Trials Operations, talks about persistence and motivation in her career.
-
Curing SCID: The People Behind the Process
Learn how Jolanta "Jola" Dowdy helped St. Jude researchers cure X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID-X1), a rare genetic disorder.
-
Medical interpreter brings words to life for St. Jude families
Medical interpreter Guillermo Umbria bridges the language gap for Spanish-speaking patients and families at St. Jude. Learn more about how he brings words to life.