car kindess

We were given a 2009 Hyundai Sonanta, click here for the story.

The first five years Mark and I were married, we lived across the driveway from his brother in their guest house. Fond memories :) While we were in that neighborhood and ward we got to know the Robinson family. They are now the force behind TRF, the Tyler Robinson Foundation. I don't know how often they do this, but they team up with Bear River Insurance and other companies to help refurbish and give away a car.  They had heard about Ruby and had our family's name in their minds. We had to sign a paper a little bit before we got the car, so we knew ahead of time, but I had told my sister in law to tell them its ok, we didn't need a car. We had just had the Rally for Ruby, which was a smashing success. Thank you again Cynthia, friends, and Millies Princess Foundation! I was ready to have attention focused on someone else.

This may sound selfish, but sometimes I just want to be out of the spotlight. Yes, I so appreciate all that is given to us, but sometimes I want to turn away from it all and act like we are just normal, everything is fine. Ruby is still happy and appearing healthy despite her sneaky melanoma in her lungs. It can be easy to shake off reality sometimes.  I am SO very thankful she, we, have not had to go through the typical chemo and radiation type of cancer treatment. We have enjoyed a normal life and a healthy Ruby.

Wednesday afternoon July 20. I thought there may be a few people there, didn't know anything beyond that there was a car and I assumed someone from the Robinson fam and Bear River would be there (there being our house). About 2 hours before we learned we needed to be at Martins Collision Repair in Orem. I dropped S & J off at a neighbors to play, I didn't think it was necessary they be there, and they wanted to play with their friends instead of drive.

Bridget pick up Mark Ruby and I, we got to Martin's and I could tell this was bigger than I expected. We met Thiago and Sergio Martins, Don and Don from Bear River. Brent and Shannon Robinson were there, so happy to see their faces.  We walk into the room...a big (clean) garage and the walls are lined with people, a shiny car with a big red bow on it in the center, a table with gifts for all the girls, a camera man, Elsa and Anna. I was so embarrassed!  All these people looking at us, all these people there, for us. I wanted to nicely tell them "we're all good, thanks though!" and climb into a hole. That's not the first time I've felt that way. I have to stick it out, get past it, let people love you, which is often harder said than done. I had a chance to say something and let them know how much their efforts and time and love mean to us, that is what the car represents to us. I cried, as I usually do when I talk about anything related to Ruby's cancer and people's kindness. Then as opposed to wanting to climb in a hole, I wanted to hug every person there. 

Ruby didn't really care about the car, but did love playing with Thiago, Aunt B and her new toys. There was lunch for everyone and time to chat. I talked to a girl from the Deseret News who did a quick interview with a voice recorder. I quickly told her Ruby's whole story from birth. I definitely know I told her that we did NOT have to travel to California for the immunotherapy Ruby tried, and how thankful I was to be able to stay at home. So when I read the article about us, and saw it was incorrect, I was bothered. I don't want people to feel bad for us, or think we got a car because we were going back and forth from California.

Its a great car, just like new. Really clean and shiny :)  Only about 70K miles on it and they did an amazing job at refurbishing it after it had been declared totaled. You would never know!  Mark loves driving it and its nice to have a more dependable car. And he's already got a Baltimore Orioles license plate frame on it :)  Thank you to all you who were involved. Thank you for your love. I would never want anyone, in any situation, to have cancer growing within them. But I have to say, this situation in our lives, that has become our life right now, has shown us more goodness and more love from more people than I thought was possible. I NEVER would have been able to know without this challenge and getting to have Ruby in our family.