TOLEDO, Ohio — Ariya Ruffin is just like any other one-year-old. She's full of energy, has an infectious baby smile and she melts the hearts of anyone around her.
But there's one major difference, she has short bowel syndrome or short gut.
"Short gut is when you're missing a lot of your small intestine," Ariya's mom, Taylor Ruffin, said. "Like she only has two centimeters left."
Before Ariya has born, an obstruction was seen in her bowels. Immediately after her birth, a large portion of her intestines had to be removed. Since then, Ariya hasn't had a single bite of solid food and instead relies on a feeding tube.
"She gets three milliliters through her feeding tube an hour; she doesn't get anything by mouth," Taylor Ruffin said.
While a liquid diet is able to give her all of her nutrients, Ariya's life still comes with many challenges. Her mobility is limited by the very thing that keeps her alive. The feeding tube doesn't do anything to help with the side effects of short gut, either.
"It's been rough, it's been real rough," her father, Javon Ruffin said.
Things like Ariya spending her first birthday in the hospital.
"It's had its ups and downs. She's a fighter so there are times you can't even tell something is wrong with her because she's always smiling or she's just relaxed. like even when she's super sick," Javon Ruffin said.
But without the feeding tube, Dr. Holly Brine with Toledo Hospital's NICU says it's likely baby Ariya wouldn't still be here.
"Really it is a life-saving technology that allows for us to be able to have people who wouldn't be able to take in enough nutrition not only survive, but thrive," Brine said.
Thrive in part because of how much things have changed in recent years.
"Thankfully the technology is great," Brine said. "We've gotten it to be hidden under clothing."
However, most kids are able to eventually outgrow the need for a feeding tube. Ariya, on the other hand, is likely to have a feeding tube indefinitely.
"The doctors did say it's probably going to be for the rest of her life," Taylor Ruffin said.
So now they're coming to terms with this being her reality permanently.
While Ariya's parents said it might slightly slow her down compared to other kids her age, they believe the family environment they've created will make sure she's never left behind.
"With her siblings being able to help and being older than her, that's going to speed up that process for her, so she's going to want to try and do things on her own anyway," Javon Ruffin said.
There's still a chance baby Ariya won't need a feeding tube forever. A clinic in Boston says it's possible for her to get a bowel transplant, but it will require an examination, a second opinion and the proper organs before that can happen.
To help out with expenses, the family has a GoFundMe campaign to offset the costs. Follow this link or click below to donate.