Our Story 

In September of 2020, a spunky tutu wearing little girl was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Ruari Biter, daughter of Scott & Meghan Biter, was found to have a 5cm pilocytic astrocytoma, a benign tumor that took up space in her 4th ventricle. The tumor had displaced her brain stem, pushed on her cerebellum and caused hydrocephalus. After more than a year of searching for answers, the symptoms of dizziness, headaches, naseau, vomiting and sleepiness Ruari had been experiencing were finally explained. The day before her 5th birthday, Ruari underwent surgery at Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse, NY to have the tumor removed. The surgery went well and successfully removed all the tumor!

Ruari's story is not a one off. Every day more than 700 children world wide are diagnosed with cancer.  Yet childhood cancer receives less than 4% of the funding from the National Cancer Institute.  Pediatric brain cancer receives even less.

The RuariSparkle organization, a 501c3, was started to raise awareness, to raise funding for pediatric brain cancer research and provide comfort and sparkle to those facing childhood cancer.
On September 19, 2021, exactly one year after Ruari's diagnosis, RuariSparkle hosted the inaugural RuariSparkle Tutu Trot/Walk/Run. The proceeds from that event and generous community donations have provided comfort baskets to several families in the community, established the RuariSparkle Pediatric Brain Cancer Research & Comfort Fund with the Upstate Foundation and donated over 200 RuariSparkle blankets to Kelly's Comfort Zone cabinets at Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse N.Y.

RuariSparkle is committed to its mission statement and will continue to spread comfort and sparkle to those facing childhood cancers!