The family of an 18-year-old who died from a rare blood cancer will walk to every London Underground station to raise money for cancer research this Friday.
Ruby Fuller died from T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and 24 of her family and friends will walk to every underground station while celebrating what would have been her 25th birthday.
The challenge will raise money for The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association (CCLG), and will start at 5am in Amersham, with the fastest of the group hoping to finish around midnight at Heathrow Terminal 5.
If more than eight people complete the challenge, they will become the largest group to visit all 272 London Underground stations in a single day.
Ruby’s mother, Emma Jones, 56, said: “She was a Londoner, born and bred, and loved the Underground, often working out the best routes and dreaming of one day working for Transport for London.
“Ruby believed that ‘being kind’ is the most important thing in the world: to people, animals, and the planet.
“Knowing she didn’t have long to live, she asked to be remembered by the motto ‘Live Kindly, Live Loudly’.”
She added: “There has been a lot of coverage and CCLG has really worked hard on the campaign to ensure that doctors take the concerns of the parents or caregiver more seriously because cancer in young people can present with all sorts of odd different symptoms.”
Ruby was 17-years-old when she became unwell in June 2019, and after being diagnosed spent 10 months in severe treatment, including intensive chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a stem cell transplant.
Jones added: “After she died, Ruby’s consultant told us that they just haven’t yet figured out how to successfully treat T-cell blood cancers when they relapse, but how she fervently hoped that they would very soon.
“The only way they will do that is with funding.
“That’s why we’ve set up a fund with CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association in Ruby’s memory, to support research into T-cell lymphoma and leukaemia, hoping to improve outcomes for others in the future.”
CEO of CCLG, Ashley Ball-Gamble, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to Emma, Dylan and Tabitha for the incredible efforts in memory of Ruby.
“The funds that they, and their supporters, have raised, and continue to raise, are helping us to fund and lead world-class research that will deliver real impact for children and young people diagnosed with blood cancer in the future.”
Ruby’s family and friends are aiming to raise half a million pounds in Ruby’s memory, to match the amount the NHS spent funding her treatments.
To donate, visit Emma’s Just Giving page.
Donaters are encouraged to comment their favourite London Underground station, and will be entered into a draw to win a watercolour painting of that station by Ruby’s cousins’ grandfather, Stewart Walton, known for his live on-stage illustrations at Glastonbury Festival.
Live updates will be available during the challenge on instagram @livekindlyliveloudly
Featured image credit: Emma Jones
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