02/05/2025
The little girl in this photograph is Ruby Crane. From the young age of 3 years old, she spent her days at St Dunstan’s Rehabilitation Centre in Brighton, Sussex—helping blinded soldiers returning from World War I.
Ruby’s father was the head gardener, and as she wandered the grounds, she would take the soldiers by the hand and guide them to their workshops, asking where they wanted to go. She knew they couldn’t see and just wanted to help.
Her kindness deeply moved those around her. People sent dolls and toys to thank her for the support she gave to the men and women who had lost their sight. Ruby was so beloved that she was featured on the front page of St Dunstan’s first Annual Report (1915/1916), and later, Flag Day emblems were designed in her honor.
Years later, Ruby recalled:
"I always remember how my little hand seemed so small in their big hands… They were so pleased to have a child come and talk to them. It was something different—away from the monotonous grind of not being able to see things, I think."
Ruby was rewarded with a long life, passing away in 2011 in her late nineties. But her legacy of kindness lives on. ❤️
📸 Credit: Evaline Brueton, Consulting Historian – Disability Pride Month Series
