Micah Materre
WGN-TV News
3:51 p.m. CDT, August 19, 2011
If you didn’t know Paul Ruby, it would be tough to tell the 48-year-old hotel manager suffers from Parkinson’s Disease.
The neurological disease affects people in different ways, and in Paul’s case, he moves a bit slower and talks softer. But to him, that’s not the worst of it.
“Smiling, which is a big part of any hotel manager’s job, when dealing with the public and staff members, [is something that] I was struggling with,” says Paul Ruby, “But again, I’m starting to be able to smile again and it’s amazing what a smile is worth.”
But this debilitating disease doesn’t stop him from being a General Manager of the Herrington Inn and Spa in Geneva, a position he’s held for the past 12 years.
“When somebody meets Paul Ruby they immediately take a liking to him,” says Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns. “Because of who he is, because of what he does, or what he has done rather for Geneva, and certainly what he represents.”
Paul was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s in 2006.
“I don’t think I ever said ‘why me,’” says Ruby. “It’s a little shocking and overwhelming and it takes a little while to sink in, but to some extent I was a little bit relieved to finally have a diagnosis.”
Paul’s son Wes was in fourth grade when he started noticing his dad just wasn’t his old self, and he was having a tough time coaching him on his baseball.
“At first I just really didn’t think anything of it until I actually started seeing the difference in him,” says Wes Ruby. “I eventually thought, oh my goodness we’ve got to do something about this.”
The diagnosis came just about the time that then President George W. Bush vetoed legislation to allow stem cell research. Doctors believe that stem cell research is key to finding a cure to neurological diseases like Parkinson’s.
Wes Ruby wrote a letter to the President, pleading with him to rescend the veto.
“It says that I wasn’t able to play catch with my dad and that really affected me and maybe he would be able to change his mind.” said Ruby.
Bush didn’t change him mind but Paul Ruby did. His son’s letter inspired him so much that Ruby created the Paul Ruby Foundation for Parkinson’s research. Four years later, the foundation has raised $300,000 for research at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
“I was proud of him to start with, but it made me realize that if a ten-year old kid was going to make a difference, that I sure as heck better try and do what I could too. So, he inspired me.” thought Ruby.
Eighth grader Kayleigh Barnaba is a resident of Geneva. The impressive teenager throws charity Christmas events and pool parities with proceeds going entirely to the Ruby foundation.
“He was such a nice man and I thought to myself he’s too nice of a man to have this horrible disease and I wanted to do everything that I could to help him,” says Kayleigh Barnaba.
Because of her generosity and hard work, Paul appointed her to the foundation’s board of directors.
“Through his debilitating disease he perseveres through it. He has so much courage and I would actually say that Mr. Ruby is my hero,” says Barnaba.
“Well, I don’t know about hero but I think I’m a positive person and hopefully that spreads a little bit and I’m happy to be positive,” says Ruby.
Ruby worries that the affects of his disease will eventually take a toll on his wife Linda and their two sons. However, his son Wes says not only will his family be there, but the entire community as well.
Paul Ruby, he’s one of Chicago’s very own.
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