Sandra Melvin

Sandra Ruiz-Melvin is a board certified Registered Nurse for over 25 years.  Sandra was born and raised in Brawley, California.  She quickly followed her passion for healing, caring and helping others and started nursing school after high school.   In 1996 she graduated from Imperial Valley College with an Associates Degree of Science in Registered Nursing.  Later obtaining her Bachelors Degree in Nursing from the University of Chamberlain.  Sandra has worked as a Registered Nurse in a variety of specialty areas to include the medical/surgical, telemetry, emergency room, oncology, post anesthesia critical care unit, surgical services, cardiac unit and electrophysiology lab.

Sandra has been married for over 25 years to her high school sweetheart Jason. They have three beautiful children.  Six years ago, their youngest suddenly became ill and was diagnosed with a severe case of IBD at the age of 10.  This impacted the entire family tremendously.  It was a trying four years filled with multiple surgeries, procedures, failed IBD medications, numerous holidays in the hospitals, ICU stays, blood transfusions, and multiple physicians, until they finally found the perfect one.  Life is currently close to normal after their daughter’s 2nd Ileostomy.

Sandra has finally found peace and positivity with IBD thanks to Liat and IBD Strong. Since meeting Liat and joining this organization, for the first time IBD has brought joy, healing and has been therapeutic for the entire family.   Sandra would like to help other families find peace, acceptance and a community of support in IBD Strong so no one suffers alone.

As part IBD Strong’s Families Like Ours: Family Team Partners, Sandra is available to offer her support to other moms struggling with their child’s diagnosis or associated complications of the disease process, especially of those whose child is diagnosed with a severe case of IBD, and has had an ileostomy.