Ruby is a truly caring lady who resides at the Sterling House of Columbia in Tennessee. Ruby was born and raised on a farm in Giles County, Tennessee. Ever since she was a young girl, she dreamed of having the opportunity to travel to the ocean- dig her feet in the sand, smell the ocean air, and feel the breeze on her face. At 100 years old, Ruby has still never had the opportunity to see the ocean and wished for nothing more than to see its beauty for the very first time.
Ruby has always placed her needs on the back burner so she could maintain her farm and raise her children and grandchildren. As a child it was hard for Ruby to maintain a “man’s lifestyle”- she spent all of her time chopping wood, picking cotton, and tending to the animals. Although this was difficult for Ruby growing up, she became accustomed to this style of living and enjoyed the time she spent on the farm with her family.
Thanks to Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale, Ruby finally had the opportunity to dip her toes in the ocean in Orange Beach, AL, in November of 2014. Ruby traveled down to Orange Beach with her two caregivers Debbie and Tracey, as well as another Brookdale staff member- Mark. Ruby was greeted with a welcome party from Perdido Beach Resort, and even was recognized by Mayor Tony Kennon of Orange Beach. Ruby stated that “Now I got to see it. It was big. Big and pretty like I thought it would be.” Ruby had such a wonderful time and thought it was truly incredible to have so many members of the community support her on this journey to the ocean.
