6.04.2009

for all you in or near nashville tomorrow....


























this post is for you.

i hope that everyone reading this post has had the opportunity to meet ruthie sayles, but i don't think that is the case. if you do know her then you understand how hard it is for me to put into words just how amazing this girl is!

i remember the first time i met ruthie in college, but i also remember the time i realized just how cool of a friend i had made. it was my freshman year. super swap at forresters with 17th floor playing. it was our first swap. we were all there with our "owl pals" feeling oh so cool. all of a sudden in walks ruthie with our pledge trainer, leslie logan. i had only met ruthie one other time before this, but i was pretty sure she wasn't a chi o. she was a couple years older and we had just pledged, so i didn't know for sure. ruthie is beautiful and tall, but can get down unlike any white girl i have ever seen! we were all awkward freshmen who had no clue what was going on. ruthie got us all out on that dance floor, though. it was hands down the greatest swap we ever had! as we were leaving she informed us that she wasn't a chi o, but that she never passes up an opportunity to dance to 17th floor. (p.s. if you're looking for tupac, i'm pretty sure he is the lead singer for 17th floor, the rap cover band that plays ole miss parties. they are awesome.) she didn't care if they kicked her out. she was going to dance. that is when i realized just how cool she is!


on april 15th, ruthie's father passed away. this was a complete surprise, but thankfully we serve a God who knows no surprises. ruthie started a blog to share this hard walk with us. one of the things i love the most about ruthie is how real she is. this is a hard time in her life and she doesn't pretend like it isn't. she does this with hope though b/c she knows she will be with her father again.






















(ruthie with her father on her wedding day)


a couple of weeks ago ruthie and her husband, will, were driving through jackson on their way back to nashville. will's car broke down and they were stranded here. when it rains it pours. i got to spend a little time with them and catch up with this sweet friend.

i knew that ruthie had been having treatments for her back (problems remaining from a wreck she had in high school), but i learned the extent of all of this.

one of her close friend's summed it up better than i can....

"For those who don't know, she was in a very serious auto accident in 1996 and was in critical care for 6-8 weeks. With a broken neck, it was a miracle that she was even able to walk again. However, she has suffered chronic and intolerable pain since then. Recently, doctors discovered a surgical wire that has broken and pierced her spinal cord that must be removed. The countless medical bills will be in excess of $100,000, and their insurance policy excludes Ruthie's pre-existing condition."

the surgery is risky, but it can't be left the way it is.

this is what brings me to this post.

TOMORROW NIGHT (thursday, june 4) there is a benefit concert in nashville for ruthie.

it is going to be an amazing night, and i wish more than anything that i could be there!
i figured that i would post this on here on the off chance that someone in nashville hasn't heard about it, and wants to help out my sweet friend!!

this flyer has all the information, but if you need more just let me know!





























i love you ruthie!!

No comments: