Anthem's Heroes at Hadlock honors 4-year-old cancer survivor

Libby Rulman

As part of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s commitment to supporting the prevention and treatment of cancer and the work of the Maine Children’s Cancer Program (MCCP), 4-year-old cancer survivor Libby Rulman of Windham was honored as an Anthem Hero for the courage she displayed battling a serious illness at such a young age.

Rulman was the second of four Anthem Heroes at Hadlock to be recognized during the 2018 season. The ceremony took place prior to the June 24 Portland Sea Dogs game at Hadlock Field.

“Libby is an amazing young girl and we’re all inspired by her story of perseverance,” said Dan Corcoran, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine. “We have a long tradition of supporting organizations that foster healthy communities here in Maine, and we’re especially proud of our commitment to MCCP and supporting the good work they do for kids like Libby.”

Rulman was only 26 months old when her parents took her to the doctor for what they thought was conjunctivitis. After being prescribed antibiotics and seeing no change in her condition at follow-up visits, the family was referred to an eye specialist, who immediately admitted Libby to Maine Medical Center. She was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, a rare cancer.

After surgery and a year-long chemotherapy regimen, Libby persevered and thanks to the care and treatment she received from MCCP, today she is in remission. Libby enjoys dancing, playing tee ball and will start kindergarten next year.

When asked what her favorite part was in participating at the Heroes at Hadlock event, she said she loved running the bases and getting to high-five all the players while she was running! But there was more she enjoyed, “I also loved spending time with my family and friends,” Libby said with a smile.

The Anthem Heroes at Hadlock Program provides children who have battled a serious medical condition with a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Hadlock Field. Each honoree takes a celebratory home run lap around the bases of Hadlock prior to a Sea Dogs home game, while the players give the child high-fives and the crowd provides a standing ovation. The children and their families also receive a number of Sea Dogs souvenirs and other VIP privileges.

The Anthem Heroes at Hadlock Program will recognize two more courageous kids this season prior to the games on July 14 (6 p.m. start) and August 19 (1 p.m. start).

“Libby’s Ouchie Box Toy Drive” – Helping to fill an ongoing need at Maine Children’s Cancer Program by Elizabeth Richards

Libby with her "Ouchie Box" donations

The “Ouchie Box” at the Maine Children’s Cancer Program (MCCP) is something Libby Rulman looks forward to every time she has an appointment at the facility. But last fall, she went to choose a prize and found the box sadly depleted. That’s when her mother, Sarah Adams Rulman, decided to spread the word.

Libby was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Langerhan Cell Histipcystosis, (LCH) at age 2 ½, and in the two years since has been to MCCP for countless treatments and follow up appointments. She is currently in remission and February 27^th will mark one cancer-free year. But that doesn’t mean her journey is over; she still has follow up appointments, including an MRI and full body scan, every three months. And at 4 ½, Sarah said, her attitude has shifted somewhat. “Now that she’s older and she’s been going through this for so long, it’s a little bit harder to get her to cooperate like she did before.”  Libby is more aware of what will happen, which is a lot to endure, Sarah said. 

That’s why the “Ouchie Box” is so important.  

The box at the center is filled with donations of small toys, activity books, and other treasures that children, who visit the facility, get to choose from when their treatment or appointment is over. “It’s pretty awesome because some of those kids are in there all day for chemo treatments, and to have something to look forward to when they are done is really important to them,” Sarah said.

She and Libby had been collecting donations on their own to add to the box, but when they had the experience of finding it nearly empty after an appointment, Sarah decided to try to do something on a larger scale and get the community involved. 

They launched “Libby’s Ouchie Box Toy Drive” and met with great success, collecting five large boxes of toys. “I posted that we were doing it and we’d love help and people just came out of the woodwork. It was great,” Sarah said.

Sarah’s employer, Amigo’s, also got involved, collecting toy and cash donations with raffle prizes as incentives. Chris Rulman’s employer, Nappi Distributors, also participated by making posters to advertise the drive and donating some of the prizes.

With each toy or $5 donation, people received a raffle ticket for a drawing that included a Rossignol

Snowboard, Pabst Blue Ribbon aluminum cooler, and other prizes. Donations were collected until the drawing, which was held on Sunday, December 17.  

In addition to quite a few toys, the drive brought in enough money to purchase fifty-two gas gift cards worth $10 each. These were donated to families that have to travel from a distance to MCCP, which is the only cancer program in Maine. The raffle items were a nice incentive, Sarah said, but she found they weren’t what drove people to donate. “Most people didn’t want to put their name on a ticket. They just wanted to help,” she said.

MCCP is a full medical facility, where children often receive their chemo treatments or see their oncologists.  Until Libby was diagnosed, Sarah said, they didn’t know it existed. “Maine Children’s Cancer Program is just an amazing, amazing place,” Sarah said.  

Although the official drive is complete, the need will not end. Because the Ouchie Box is filled by donations, items are always welcome.  

“They are always looking for help,” Sarah said, including toys, knit hats, or any other comfort item that children or families might need to help them in the difficult time they are going through.