09/06/2026
The time has come for me to make the bittersweet announcement that I will be retiring from the Beautiful You MRKH Foundation at the end of this year. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve as Co-Founder, Vice President, and Executive Director of BYMRKH for more than 14 years.
I have been openly talking about retirement with BYMRKH leadership for the past two years, but how do you decide when it’s the right time to walk away from something you have poured your heart and soul into? Something that has been such a huge part of your life and, more importantly, introduced you to some of the most resilient, courageous, and downright cool women and people on the planet?
The answer is: I don’t know. This is a big decision and one I do not take lightly. What I do know is that my heart and passion have begun pulling me in another direction, and I’ll get to that in a moment.
Someone recently asked me what my biggest takeaways have been from my time co-leading the Foundation. Two came to mind.
First, when we started BYMRKH, very, very few people were openly talking about MRKH. In fact, one of our earliest slogans was, “Providing a voice for the voiceless.”
The meaning behind those words was important to me. We wanted to bring awareness to MRKH and provide accurate medical information and support that so many desperately needed, particularly those living in parts of the world where speaking openly about MRKH was, and in some places still is, not safe.
I always felt it was our job to get LOUD. To bring attention to a condition affecting approximately 1 in 4,500 women and to use our voices for those who could not safely use theirs.
✨Well, y’all found your voices and I LOVE TO SEE IT!✨
There are now thousands of women around the world openly talking about MRKH, sharing their stories, educating others, advocating for themselves, and advocating for one another. Watching that transformation has been one of the greatest joys of my life. And perhaps that is one of the reasons why now feels like the right time to hang up my hat and cheer all of you on as YOU continue moving this community forward.
The second thing that came to mind was a post someone wrote years ago referring to me as “everyone’s best friend” and saying that I helped hold the community’s hand. Now, I don’t know if that is true, but I cannot think of a bigger compliment. If, at any point during these 14+ years, I helped make this diagnosis feel a little lighter for someone, or if I helped someone feel less alone, find their voice, or remember that they are beautiful and worthy exactly as they are, then I think I did my job.
Anyone who has worked closely with me knows that one of my favorite responsibilities at BYMRKH has always been amplifying YOUR voices, YOUR stories, and YOUR words. I never started this journey because I wanted it to be about me. That said, before I officially go, I will write a farewell blog talking about the creation of MRKH Warrior and the inspiration behind the name of the Foundation. But more importantly, there are many people I need to thank and give big shout-outs to. The biggest of those will go to my business partner, dearest friend, confidant, and chosen family, Dr. Amy Lossie. There simply are not enough words for the magic we created and experienced together.
Anyone who knows me well will probably not be surprised to learn that I am shifting my advocacy from MRKH and infertility to canines and canine nutrition. And I could not be more excited, enthusiastic, or passionate about this next chapter. The same fire that made me get LOUD about MRKH all those years ago is raging inside me to do the same for dogs. I want to dig into the science, ask the hard questions, challenge the status quo, and advocate for healthier dogs. I have so much more to learn, and I cannot wait to see where this passion takes me.
So, if you have a dog, know someone who has a dog, love dogs, or simply want to see what I get myself into next, I hope you’ll follow along.
I intend to give this next chapter everything I have. 🐾
Lastly, if you have been with us since the beginning🫶🫶thank you.🫶🫶What a fun ride it has been, and I sincerely love you all. ❤️
All my love & gratitude
Christina Ruth
