'We will just give her the best life we can'

Rubie suffered a rare cardiac condition just four days after her 16th birthday

A Kent family is raising funds to support their severely disabled daughter when she returns home from hospital.

Rubie sustained "profound" brain damage due to a rare cardiac condition and is currently receiving specialist treatment at King's College Hospital in London.

On 11 May last year, just four days after Rubie's 16th birthday, she went to the park in Ashford with friends. Half-an-hour later, Rubie's mother Kim said she received a call from Rubie's friend saying her daughter was "unresponsive, not breathing and had no pulse".

Kim, from Pluckley, said: "She suffered a hypoxic ischemic brain injury and sadly she is now unable to walk, talk, eat, drink, move voluntarily or sit unaided."

She explained Rubie suffered a ventricular fibrillation, meaning the heart "quivers" instead of beating, and her brain was deprived of oxygen for 31 minutes.

"Rubie's friend performed CPR until an ambulance arrived and used a defibrillator to restore rhythm back into her heart," said Kim.

"She's also developed dystonia. This means the muscles all over her body contract involuntarily."

Kim says Rubie will require assisted home care after she is discharged from hospital

Kim said she hoped to build an extension to her home fitted with accessibility facilities to accommodate Rubie's needs.

The family aims to raise £40,000 to install a wet room, wheelchair facilities, stretcher, a kitchen, and other amenities for overnight carers.

Kim added: "Unfortunately Rubie's future doesn't look too different to how she is currently, but we will just give her the best life we can."