HUGGING 16-year-old Ruby Reid, Andrew and Lisa Roussos’s eyes brim with tears.
Their daughter Saffie — who should be exactly the same age as Ruby and even shares the same date of birth — did not get to see another birthday after 2016.
Ruby Reid from Cornwall is winner of the Saffie’s Smile AwardStewart Williams
Saffie was killed in the Manchester Arena terror attack in 2017, weeks before she would have turned nine
She was killed in the Manchester Arena terror attack in 2017, weeks before she would have turned nine.
Until now, Saffie’s name and legacy have been linked with the deadliest strike on UK soil for more than a decade.
Best known until this year as the youngest victim of the Islamist bomber who targeted the Ariana Grande concert, all that changed in July with the launch of The Sun’s Saffie’s Smile award.
We teamed up with the Roussos family to celebrate the caring and fun-loving spirit of their daughter by launching a special competition in her honour — Saffie’s Smile Awards — to celebrate children aged 16 or under who have shown incredible character and gone above and beyond to help others.
After being inundated with entries from across the country, Andrew and Lisa chose Ruby, from St Blazey, Cornwall, as the first winner of the award, after she bravely overcame incredible adversity.
Ruby shares the same birthday as Saffie — July 4 — something Andrew says felt “unbelievable but meant to be” when he first realised.
The Roussos surprised Ruby with her award at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire last month while the teen was fulfilling a lifelong dream of feeding giraffes.
While Ruby hugged Lisa, Andrew revealed why she was chosen as our winner.
‘An inner strength’
He said: “We wanted to set up this award to represent Saffie as a person, rather than as the world sees her. Saffie wasn’t just the youngest victim of the attack. We wanted to move away from that, because Saffie was a lot more.
“When we read Ruby’s entry, she came across so much like Saffie and after meeting her we can see the similarities. Her strength, her enthusiasm, her positivity . . . everything.
“To put one foot up in front of the other the way she has is amazing. When people go through trauma, it’s very easy to take the wrong route.
“But Ruby is inspirational. And the fact they share the same birthday and would be the same age is surreal.
“Saffie’s spirit is alive, and here Ruby embodies that perfectly with how she has been able to carry on despite the cards she’s been dealt.”
Ruby acts as the main carer for her mum Emma, 55, who has ME and depression, and does all the cooking at home.
As a child Ruby battled bullies, which resulted in a suicide attempt in 2018 when she was nine years old.
It was just months after Saffie’s life was tragically cut short on May 22, 2017.
Diagnosed with depression, Ruby had counselling and therapy but shortly after her tenth birthday in 2020, tragedy struck again.
We felt Ruby’s character was, and is, so much like Saffie’s. She’s been through such a lot, and to keep on smiling through all that is amazing
Saffie’s dad Andrew
Unable to cope with lockdown, Ruby’s big brother Charley, 25, took his own life on October 4 and at Christmas 2021, Ruby’s grandad Christopher died of a massive stroke — with the then 13-year-old Ruby being woken by paramedics trying to save his life.
Andrew said: “The nomination that we got through for Ruby touched us so much.
“We felt her character was, and is, so much like Saffie’s. She’s been through such a lot, and to keep on smiling through all that is amazing, particularly at just 16 years old.
“It’s an inner strength that not many people have, particularly young people. And it just felt right for us.
“We’re doing Saffie’s Smile for a reason, and Ruby is that reason.
“When we realised the two girls share the same birthday, it felt like it was meant to be.”
As our winner, delighted Ruby gets two flights for a break in New York, courtesy of Virgin Atlantic.
It was Saffie’s favourite city — and Andrew and Lisa launched the award with Saffie’s brother Xander and sister Ashleigh in Times Square in July.
Ruby, meanwhile, will celebrate both her and Saffie’s 17th birthday in exactly the same place next July.
Ruby’s mum Emma, who will be visiting the Big Apple with her, says she will buy two cakes there — one for Ruby and one for Saffie — and the mum and daughter will blow out the candles, remembering the little girl who has changed Ruby’s life.
Speaking proudly of her daughter’s strength, fortitude and kindness, Emma says: “Ruby is the girl who compliments strangers. She’ll tell women she loves their dress or that they look pretty.
“She’ll tell men she likes their aftershave and she’ll stand up for people who need it. She brings me a daisy or dandelion every day because she wants me to have a daily flower.
Stewart WilliamsSaffie’s parents, Andrew and Lisa Roussos’s, eyes filled with tears as they embraced Ruby[/caption]
Stewart WilliamsRuby was treated to a surprise trip to Longleat Safari Park[/caption]
“She’s always rescuing little insects and creatures — she once saved a little mouse some boys at school were trying to stand on. She calls herself a dork but she has no idea of her charisma, warmth, charm, compassion and love.”
Having started an animal care diploma at a local college, Ruby gets up at 5am to travel the 64-mile round trip every day and the teenager has dreams of working with animals when she graduates.
‘She loved every second’
Emma adds: “Ruby was a prefect at school in her final year — her brother Charley was one too when he was there.
“The motivation it gave her to succeed has been so lovely to see. She wanted to start college on a high so she volunteered at a local aquarium to scrub the glass.
“Despite it being long hours, she loved every second of it.”
Determined to turn her dreams of working with animals into a reality, Ruby enjoyed every second of her trip to Longleat, where she got to hand-feed the giraffes.
“I can’t believe I got to do that,” she says.
“Giraffes are such amazing creatures. I’d love a job here at the park when I get older.
“The big cats have been incredible, I can’t believe I got to see lions and tigers and the brand new tiger cubs too. I love all animals but the big cats are my favourite.
I just can’t believe I was even nominated, let alone won. I honestly don’t feel like I deserve it
Saffie’s Smile winner Ruby
“It was amazing learning all about them from the guide.”
While normally a chatterbox, Ruby was lost for words when — part-way through feeding the giraffes — she was surprised by Andrew and Lisa, who told her she had won The Sun’s inaugural Saffie’s Smile Award. I had no idea what was going on,” Ruby recalled tearfully.
Stewart WilliamsRuby was nominated by her mum Emma Reid[/caption]
“I just can’t believe I was even nominated, let alone won. I honestly don’t feel like I deserve it. Mum says I am special but I don’t think I am. I’m just a normal teenager.
“It was such a special surprise and such a shock. Things like this don’t happen to me, it’s both surreal and absolutely brilliant. I cannot believe I’m going to New York. Andrew and Lisa have been so warm and wonderful to me, I’ll never, ever be able to thank them enough for picking me as their winner. It means more than I could ever put into words.”
Legacy will live on
Ruby is one of four young people recognised by the Roussos family this year in honour of Saffie’s legacy, and Andrew hopes they will all go on to do great things as a result.
“We want Saffie’s legacy to live on. These incredible young people are all amazing,“ he says.
Our dream is they use this award as a reason to keep pushing and striving, to achieve even more than they have already.”
Back at Longleat, after being given a cuddly tiger by the park managers, Ruby spotted Zachary Penn, five, from Ealing in West London, who was admiring it.
Gifting her tiger to the animal-mad lad, Zachary’s mum Tanya Alvares says Ruby’s kind gesture was Zachary’s favourite part of his visit there.
“He had a tiger T-shirt on under his hoodie when Ruby gave him the cuddly toy — they’re his favourite animal,” she says.
“It’s incredible that Ruby has done something so kind and selfless for someone she doesn’t even know.
“I didn’t know what was happening when she gave it to him but when she explained, I can see why Ruby was chosen as the winner — she’s an incredible young woman.”
Stewart WilliamsSaffie’s parents Andrew and Lisa[/caption]
Saffie’s Smile Award
Runners up
Dante Valaydon-Pillay, 12, Raglan, Gwent
SuppliedDante Valaydon has raised money for other kids going through tough times[/caption]
HIS mum Fran had a series of strokes in 2017, which left her temporarily paralysed when the lad was five years old.
She and her cousin Chris Parry nominated Dante, who has raised money for other kids going through tough times after being inspired by the kindness shown to him.
While Fran spent three months recuperating in hospital, Dante was cared for by friends and family. Fran, 52, says: “The kindness of those who loved us is something that stayed with Dante.
“He was nine when he met a foster child and it really affected him. He said it was unfair that he had had such love while I’d been in hospital while she hadn’t.”
Dante has raised more than £3,500 for Children in Need through events such as climbing Sugar Loaf Mountain near Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, every day for a week.
Now in Year 8, he has abseiled, sung the National Anthem, sold art, run 5k, and baked cakes – all to support Children in Need.
He is currently sleeping in a tent for a month to raise money.
Dante says: “Being a runner-up for the Saffie’s Smile Award has inspired me to keep going and put more smiles on faces.”
Emmie Naraynsingh, 15, Manchester
SuppliedEmmie Naraynsingh was diagnosed with leukaemia[/caption]
EMMIE and her mum Eve were living three miles from the Manchester Arena when they heard the bomb at the Ariana Grande concert explode.
Emmie was deeply affected as some of her friends had attended the show.
Four months later, she was diagnosed with leukaemia.
For the next nine months, she had intensive chemotherapy, spending little time at home.
Despite her struggles, Emmie noticed parents surviving on snacks while caring for their kids, so she and her grandmother Jacqueline began serving monthly three-course meals at the local Ronald McDonald House in June 2018, which they still do.
Emmie says: “I can’t believe I’m a runner-up.
“Since I was sick, I’ve tried to help other families, knowing how hard it is. The arena bombing shook our city, and I remember Saffie being my age. It’s an honour to be part of this.”
Louis Moss, 12, Buckton, Cambs
Paul TongeLouis Moss has helped children with hearing loss by advocating for them in Parliament[/caption]
BY the time he was seven, Louis had lost his hearing due to a hereditary condition.
Since then the youngster, who has cochlear implants, has helped children with hearing loss by advocating for them in Parliament.
Thanks to early auditory verbal therapy, Louis learned to listen and speak, and now he attends a mainstream school, loves gaming, tennis, reading and playing with his friends.
Louis has challenged perceptions of what deaf children can achieve and campaigned to ensure more deaf babies have access to early support so they can thrive.
In February, Louis met the Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, as part of her Big Ambition campaign to make sure children’s voices are heard by the Government.
He later attended the campaign’s launch in Parliament.
Louis says: “I’m so happy to be a runner-up. Being deaf isn’t something to worry about. I do everything my friends do and I hope being nominated for this award and being a runner-up shows that.”