Sebatian Ruff was born prematurely at 25 weeks and weighed less than 2 lbs. After being in the NICU and foster care for a combined total of 922 days, Sebastian was adopted by the nurse who helped care for him in the NICU.
May is National Foster Care Month, and Akron Children’s is celebrating the stories of families created through foster care and adoption. For NICU nurse practitioner Katelyn Ruff, meeting a tiny patient 10 years ago blossomed into the start of her family.
In June 2014, Katelyn began working as a nurse in the NICU at Akron Children’s. One week later a baby boy named Sebastian entered the world prematurely at 25 weeks, weighing less than 2 lbs.
“He was always a baby I really liked,” says Katelyn. “He was really smiley despite everything.”
Despite being in the NICU for 553 days, Sebastian was a happy, smiley baby.
Katelyn found herself hoping to be assigned to Sebastian, and she eventually became one of his primary nurses.
“I lost track of how many surgeries he had,” she says. “Most of Sebastian’s health problems stemmed from issues related to his prematurity.”
In addition to a bout with sepsis after his birth, he had an intestinal perforation, developed chronic lung disease, and required a patent ductus arteriosus closure (an unclosed hole in the aorta). Because of his complex medical needs, including being on a ventilator and having a tracheostomy, his birth family wasn’t going to be able to care for him, so placing him in an institution was becoming one of his only options.
“I felt like he deserved a home life,” says Katelyn. “He fought for his life, and he smiled through it.”
Katelyn Ruff, pictured with her husband Alex, with Sebastian six months after he came home with them.
This realization planted a desire in Katelyn to foster children like Sebastian someday. Even though fostering was a future dream, Katelyn and her boyfriend, Alex (now her husband), who were 26 and 24 years old at the time, decided to go through fostering classes.
“Our initial plan was to wait until we were married and had our own biological children before fostering other kids,” she says. “But fate had other plans.”
Learning that Sebastian was available to be fostered, the couple took him home in December 2015. The following year they got married.
Today, Sebastian is a thriving 10-year-old. He attends Green Primary School and is in the 4th grade. He has autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy and utilizes a wheelchair and a speech device to make his wishes known, with his favorite requests being for water or movies.
Sebastian pictured with his siblings Julian, Addison and Brayden.
“He is still his happy, smiley, relaxed self,” says Katelyn.
Katelyn and Alex’s family has also expanded. They adopted another child (now age 6), have two biological children (ages 5 and 2), and are currently fostering another medically complex child (age 1).
Akron Children’s continues to play a vital role in Sebastian’s life, providing him with ongoing medical care.
National Foster Care Month is a time to celebrate families like Katelyn’s, formed through selflessness and a commitment to providing a loving home. It’s also a time to raise awareness about the countless children waiting for their forever families.
Today, Sebastian is thriving 10-year-old who is in the 4th grade.
“I’m eternally grateful for the path that led me to Sebastian,” said Katelyn. “Being his mom is the greatest gift, and working at the same place that cared for him allows me to help other families because I’ve walked in their shoes.”
Akron Children’s is among a handful of children’s hospitals that provides specialized medical services for families seeking to adopt, including domestic, international and special-needs adoptions. We help you gain knowledge and understanding about the medical, emotional and developmental histories of your potential child and offer guidance during the adoption process and beyond. Learn more about Akron Children’s.
