Appendectomies are common procedures in children. Every year, nearly 70,000 children in the United States undergo the surgery, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Most children recover well and go on to live happy and healthy lives. Sadly, that wasn’t the case for one 6-year-old girl in the UK.
While doctors and her parents may have assumed her problems were behind them after the removal of her appendix, that wasn’t so. Instead, the procedure marked the beginning of the end of Ruby Trussler’s life.
Ruby had an appendectomy over a year ago.
In March 2024, doctors performed an appendectomy on Ruby, The Mirror US reported. The procedure seemed to go well and Ruby and her family resumed their everyday lives. But six months later, the girl began complaining of a stomachache. Along with the pain she described to her mother, Ruby also started vomiting.
Ruby went to the hospital dehydrated and spewing green bile.
Ruby’s mom, Emma Trussler, assumed her daughter caught a stomach virus from a fellow classmate. But Ruby’s symptoms never improved. They only got worse. By October 7, she was admitted to the ER at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex. Ruby was in bad shape. She was dehydrated and spewing green sludge from her mouth.
By the time doctors learned the real issue, Ruby was unconscious.
Doctors determined that Ruby had an abdominal adhesion, a condition that involves scar tissue impeding the flow of blood. The appendicitis surgery seven months before was the culprit. Once doctors determined the cause of Ruby’s troubles, they attempted to transport her to another hospital. They made plans to move her to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, the next morning. Sadly, Ruby never made it there.
She never woke up. Even in her unconscious state, Ruby’s parents were still fighting to save her life. She underwent two more procedures, including the amputation of her leg. It wasn’t enough to revive her. Doctors learned that the adhesion had attached Ruby’s organs together. In Ruby’s case, it was accompanied by sepsis and a bowel obstruction. The obstruction blocked an artery in her leg.
‘The whole family was able to say goodbye to her,’ Emma said.
Eventually, Emma and her husband made the decision to remove Ruby from life support, Birmingham Mail reported. “They’d tried everything and we thought we couldn’t do this to her anymore,” and “Enough was enough. We had to make that decision. The whole family was able to say goodbye to her. It was the hardest thing we’ve ever done.” Ruby’s death was listed as multiple organ failure due to sepsis.
The family is planning a trip in her memory.
Emma described Ruby as the perfect daughter. She was extroverted, always smiling and well-liked by her classmates. She enjoyed singing and dancing and had friends across age groups at the William Martin Primary School in Harlow. In addition to her parents, she also leaves behind siblings.
“Her brothers have coped really well,” Emma said. “We talk about her every day and they draw pictures of her all the time.” During her hospital stay, Emma promised Ruby a trip to Disneyland. Now, with the help of a GoFundMe created by a friend, the family hopes to take that trip this November, Ruby’s birth month, in memory of her.
