Cameron Ruis is an energetic 10-year-old who loves playing basketball, listening to the Smashing Pumpkins, and playing video games. He also enjoys working out, hanging with his friends, and reading. Cameron is paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. His primary diagnosis is Spina Bifida, but this amazing kid was also born with Hydrocephalus, club feet, and neurogenic bowel and bladder. Yes, these medical conditions affect Cameron daily, but they do not hold him back from being a happy kid who is focused on overcoming every obstacle.
Despite Cameron’s medical challenges, his incredible mental and physical strength combined with his perseverance are a true joy to observe. His parents have been told by school administrators that Cameron is, “one of the most spirited and full-of-life kids” they have ever encountered. He is fiercely active and is learning to be more independent every day.
Cameron loves professional hockey. The way the players zip around the ice is thrilling plus the fast pace of the games is exhilarating to this young dude. His sports hero is Pittsburg Penguins hockey player, Sidney Crosby, who has a plethora of accomplishments (3-time Stanley Cup winner, 8-time NHL All-Star, NHL All-Star MVP, and 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist – just to name a few!) and is already touted as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. Cameron looks up to Crosby and would be bowled over by the chance to meet him and be able to tour Crosby’s “home on the ice” – the PPG Paints Arena.
