Ruby McDonald, 17, had a poor start in life.
Taken into care as a tot, she was later diagnosed with foetal alcohol syndrome which has caused learning disabilities.
But the Glenrothes teen has overcome adversity to become a talented athlete and inspiration to her peers.
Encouraged by a loving foster mum, Ruby has excelled at sport and coaches other children.
She also volunteers with children with special needs and has become a school prefect.
Now her phenomenal accomplishments have been recognised with an award from the UK-wide charity The Fostering Network.
Her foster mum Fiona McDonald watched with pride as Ruby collected the prize for young people in the Fostering Excellence Awards at Birmingham.
She said: “We are blown away by her success.”
Since Ruby came into her care at the age of five, the pair have focused not on what Ruby’s condition means she can’t do but on what she can do.
Fiona said: “We call it her superpower.
“She works on her abilities to try to reach her own potential. She works to her strengths and does her best.”
Ruby was in care for several years before she was placed as a foster child with Fiona 12 years ago.
Foetal alcohol syndrome diagnosis
Fiona said: “She hadn’t been diagnosed at that point.
“We knew she had [developmental] delays but it wasn’t until a year or two down the line we started doing various assessments and looking at her birth mum’s history that we got a diagnosis of foetal alcohol syndrome.”
Foetal alcohol syndrome can occur when a mother drinks alcohol while pregnant and is a type of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition.
For Ruby, it has caused learning disabilities which mean she struggles academically. Her maths and English skills, for example, are at primary school level, and she is only now learning life skills other children may acquire around the age of 10, such as making tea and toast and taking the bus.
Fiona educated herself about the condition and works with Ruby on developing her skills, which include physical activity.
Ruby competes in a long list of sports – football, archery, athletics and cross country – but is particularly talented in swimming.
As an athlete with Disability Sport Fife, she has won numerous awards and medals
At this year’s Scottish Learning Disability Sport summer games she won five medals in swimming, four of them gold.
She spent the summer holidays volunteering with Active Schools sports camps and she is joining Scottish Disability Sport’s young person sports panel.
As well as being a prefect at Auchmuty High School, where she attends the Department of Additional Support, she is working towards a Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award and gained a National 5 in PE.
As if that wasn’t enough, she’s also a great singer and when we spoke to Fiona was rehearsing for a talent show at Pettycur Bay Holiday Park.
Fiona, a single foster carer to two children, says she could not be prouder of what Ruby has achieved.
She said: “She is truly inspiring.
“Having a disability does not hold her back and she always strives to achieve her potential.
“She’s one of the nicest young ladies you could ever meet, beautiful inside and out.”
Nearing adulthood, Ruby’s future as a foster child and her ability to live independently are under discussion but there will always be a place for her in Fiona’s home.
Fiona said: “She can stay with me as long as she wants because as far as I’m concerned I’m her mum.
“I’ve had her since the age of five so she’s in with the bricks!”
Fiona is registered as a foster carer with Fife Council and the local authority is delighted with how she has helped Ruby flourish.
Kimberley Hankin, service manager, said: “Congratulations to Ruby on receiving this fantastic recognition from the Fostering Network.
“She has a wonderfully positive and enthusiastic attitude and has the dedication to go on and excel in activities ranging from swimming to volunteering.
“Behind Ruby’s amazing successes is her foster carer Fiona McDonald who has encouraged Ruby’s natural enthusiasm and helped her to focus on her strengths.”
The Fostering Excellence Awards are considered the UK’s most prestigious foster care awards.
They were presented in Birmingham Repertory Theatre by broadcaster and presenter Ashley John Baptiste, who grew up in care.
What is foetal alcohol syndrome?
Foetal alcohol syndrome is one type of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition caused by exposure to alcohol in the womb.
Among its symptoms are poor growth, learning difficulties, issues with attention, concentration or hyperactivity and hearing and vision problems.
When a pregnant woman drinks, alcohol in the bloodstream passes through the placenta and can damage the baby’s brain cells and nervous system.
As it is not fully developed, the liver of a foetus is unable to filter out the toxins in the same way an adult does.
Studies have suggested that foetal alcohol spectrum disorder may be more prevalent than autism.
UK chief medical officers advise no alcohol consumption at all during pregnancy.
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