Ruiz Family In New York

My friend Katie at work knows this family. They are from Waterloo, New york and they have lost 2 kids in 2 weeks time to the same rare heart condition. I wanted to post about this tradgey so maybe others would find out and maybe find it in their hearts to help them out in some way. I'm posting a couple of newspaper articles that Katie sent me and an address if anyone wants to donate anything to this family. I don't know them but I'm keeping them in my prayers.


Ruiz family donations
c/o Seneca Falls Savings Bank
59 Washington St.
Waterloo, NY 13165

Waterloo teen died of heart ailment
By SUSAN CLARK PORTER
Friday, March 14, 2008 10:15 AM CDTWATERLOO

- The Waterloo High School sophomore who died within weeks of her younger brother also succumbed to a heart problem.State Police Senior Inv. Christopher Baldwin said Thursday that an autopsy performed by the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Tannya Ruiz, 16, had an enlarged heart and died of dilated cardiomegaly.Ruiz died early Monday morning at Geneva General Hospital, about one hour after a family member found her unresponsive in bed. The three-sport athlete had played a basketball game the night before and had never been treated for heart problems.However, her younger brother, Mike V, had been diagnosed with restrictive right ventricular cardiomyopathy about five years ago and had increasingly struggled with its side effects.He underwent a major operation this past September that had been deemed a success but died unexpectedly on Feb. 26 of cardiac arrest.The community is rallying to support the Ruiz family during their time of loss. The Jensen family of Waterloo started collecting donations at P&C Food Markets on Wednesday and raised more than $3,000 on their first day.Jeramy Clingerman, assistant principal at Waterloo High School, said staff members throughout all of the district buildings have been making contributions as part of an ongoing collection for Ruiz family. The district's parent-teacher group also brought in a donation.Students, too, are lending a hand.The school's Friends of Rachel group is selling black ribbons that can be worn in support of the Ruiz family. The ribbons, at $1 apiece, were sold at the beginning of school and during lunch Thursday and will be available again today. The ribbons can be worn in school and at Tannya's services, Clingerman said.Calling hours are from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Coe-Genung Funeral Home, with the funeral at 3 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church in Waterloo. (A full obituary can be found on Page 2.)To further help the family, Clingerman said school staff members are planning a pasta dinner fundraiser for sometime in early April.


Waterloo grieves over teen's death
By SUSAN CLARK PORTER
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:45 AM CDTWATERLOO -

One child's death brings enough agony for a lifetime.Now, the Waterloo school community is wondering - as it deals with its own grief - how a local family will endure two such losses in less than two weeks.Waterloo High School sophomore Tannya Ruiz, 16, died early Monday morning - just 13 days after her younger brother Mike V, a ninth-grader, lost his five-year battle with a heart condition.State Police Senior Inv. Christopher Baldwin said a family member found Tannya unresponsive in bed at 5:50 a.m. and dialed 911. Rescue personnel performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the home and en route to Geneva General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 6:54 a.m. by the emergency room doctor, Baldwin said. Her body was taken to the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.Waterloo Superintendent Terry MacNabb said yesterday that after rumors of Tannya's death were confirmed, school officials alerted faculty and staff by e-mail. Students, however, predominantly learned of the news through text messages between themselves, he noted.MacNabb described the scene at the high school "as very, very emotional."In addition to her younger brother who recently died, Tannya - the daughter of Mike and Roxanne Ruiz - had an older brother in the high school, Mike IV, ajunior, and five other siblings."The school is first and foremost concerned about Tannya's family and the unbelievable tragedy they are dealing with," MacNabb said.The school auditorium was made available to students and staffed by counselors, but the venue was quickly changed to the cafeteria because of the large number of students who were seeking comfort and help. MacNabb said the cafeteria provided a better environment for students to meet in small groups and eat and drink. Many parents also came to the school to be with their children, he said.MacNabb estimated that about 350 to 400 of the high school's 660 students either didn't come to school or went home early Monday.School counselors were assisted by a few colleagues from the Seneca Falls school district, MacNabb said. Counselors were also offering support to adults and advising them how to communicate with youngsters in distress and draw out those more reticent to express their feelings."The kids were pretty good in supporting each other," he said.On her MySpace page, Tannya described herself as athletic and said "basketball is my life." Many of the site's postings now center on disbelief at her passing, when just a few days ago they were messages of condolence and offers of support in the wake of her brother's death.Mike Ruiz V died Feb. 26. Although he had battled heart problems for years, he appeared to be on a healthy rebound following a groundbreaking heart surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City in September. In fact, the 14-year-old had just received a positive checkup in New York City two weeks before his death of cardiac arrest.A determined, tough girlMacNabb said Tannya was a three-sport athlete - volleyball, basketball and softball - who was looking forward to softball this spring."She was academically sound and well-liked by kids and faculty alike," he said.High school reading teacher Christal Jensen, who coaches varsity volleyball and softball, described Tannya as "a determined, tough girl." She recruited Tannya in eighth-grade to play volleyball on the modified team because she was "athletic, tall and coachable."This year, as a sophomore, Tannya was moved up to the varsity level, as she was for basketball. Unfortunately, she suffered an injury at the start of the basketball season that Jensen said she was working her way back from. In fact, she played a basketball game with her AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) travel team on Sunday evening, said Jensen, noting Tannya had many close friends from her numerous sports teams.When Tannya and her brother returned to school together after their younger brother's death, Jensen said she was happy to see Tannya flash an occasional smile. But her brother remained tops in her mind, Jensen said, noting Tannya had been discussing ways to memorialize Mike V on her team's softball jerseys this spring, perhaps with black ribbons.Tannya had visited with Jensen several times last week and given her some pictures of her younger brother that were included in a tribute Friday evening during a high school talent show."She was coming back to see me today to get them back from me," Jensen said sadly Monday afternoon.Assistant High School Principal Jeramy Clingerman said he spoke with one of Tannya's brothers Monday. He admitted he was at a loss for comforting words but nonetheless wanted to reach out and offer any of the school's resources the family might need. The school staff immediately took up a collection for the Ruiz family, Clingerman added.MacNabb said classes were scheduled for today, but the school will continue to set aside places for students and adults to receive counseling support. He added that substitute teachers will also be brought in as needed "as this continues to ripple throughout our school community."MacNabb praised the school's staff, saying they are "doing an unbelievable job. They're up to the task and are doing it."That said, dealing with the deaths of two siblings in two weeks has been extraordinarily difficult on everyone, he said. A faculty meeting was scheduled for Monday afternoon to assess how the support system fared and "to prep for tonight, tomorrow and the days ahead," MacNabb said. "This, on top of her brother's situation - the impact on our kids, faculty and staff - is just unbelievable."