Ballerina, 12, overcomes major surgery despite fears she would never dance again

Ballerina, 12, overcomes major surgery despite fears she would never dance again
Fecha de publicación: 
18 April 2017
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WHEN a 12-year-old ballet dancer had major spinal surgery her parents feared she may might never dance again.

But Ruby Ferris made a remarkable recovery and, just over a year later, she is set to take to the stage in a professional production.

Her dad David said: “She absolutely loves what she does, but mostly she wants to be an inspiration to other children.

“As parents, we couldn’t be prouder of her.”

Ruby’s dance teacher noticed a curve in her spine in 2015 and she was referred to Southampton General Hospital, where she was diagnosed with advanced scoliosis.

Doctors told her that if she was not treated, either with a back brace or spinal surgery, she would end up in a wheelchair.

The Trafalgar School student said dance was “the biggest part” of her life, and with a brace she would have had to stop, so she chose the operation and went under the knife in January 2016.

She said: “They had to put two metal rods on either side of my spine, and screw it in with nine screws on each side.”

Her flexibility from dancing meant she recovered in four months, compared to a usual six or seven, but Ruby still required physiotherapy to rebuild her core muscles.

Ruby, who has been dancing since she was three, said: “I had four to five months off dance. I had to start from the basics from scratch and build up slowly. It was like having another body and I had to adapt what I was doing. It felt like having a table strapped to my back. I was a bit upset but in many ways it made me a better dancer.”

Ruby will be performing with the professional English Youth Ballet next weekend at Salisbury City Hall.

Her advice to any other young person facing a similar situation was: “Every day you will get better. You have to keep in your head the fact that each week and each month you are going to improve.

“Always think of the positive outcomes of the operation and how you will have a great story to tell.”

Dad David said Ruby had been “amazing” and “surpassed all our expectations”.

“Obviously as parents, we’ve been saying ‘take it easy, take small steps’. Ruby’s taken giant steps. When she was diagnosed we cried for months because we just couldn’t believe our daughter, who dreamed of being a dancer, might not dance again.

“She was really focussed and determined in making sure this wasn’t going to stop her dancing. Now she dances to prove to herself she can. She’s been totally self-driven.”

n The English Youth Ballet’s double bill performance of Ballet Études and Nutcracker Suite will be at the City Hall on April 21 and 22. More details on page 79.

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