Ruby Fuller: £140k raised for cancer research in memory of Herne Hill girl who died of leukaemia - Southwark News (2024)

The family and friends of a Herne Hill girl who died tragically young of leukaemia have raised £100,000 for possible life-saving research.

Ruby Fuller died in 2020 of leukaemia, aged just eighteen. The former Charter School North Dulwich head girl was dedicated to fighting injustice in all forms and wanted some of her savings to go towards research, her family said.

Now family, friends and supporters have raised more than £140,000 for the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group through challenges like wing walks, cycle rides, sky dives, comedy nights and cook-alongs.

The money will fund a project looking at how the wrong genes are being instructed in patients with T-cell leukaemia, with researchers hoping that this new knowledge will go towards treatments that will stop cancer cells surviving.

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Ruby’s mother Emma said that Ruby would be “thrilled” with the new project.

“She asked us to donate some of her savings to research after she died and might have imagined £10,000 or so being donated in her name. We’d reached £100k within a year of setting up the fund, which is incredible.

“I’m really excited that we’ve been able to fund something relatively soon after setting up the fund, thanks to all the fundraising that’s been done in Ruby’s memory.

“It makes us so happy because it would make Ruby so proud to know that was being done in her memory. Of course, like everyone who’s been horribly affected by cancer, I’m impatient to see new cures and better treatments.

“It’s incredibly reassuring to know there are people out there beavering away trying to find better solutions, I think that’s a huge help as a bereaved parent…

“It’s tremendously helpful to have something to channel our grief into.And it’sbeen really helpful for friends and family, too.

“Losing a child is so awful, and it impacts on lots of people. So many people wanted to help, but they weren’t sure what to do – this gives them a great focus. And it’s something that family and friends all over the world can get involved in.”

£10,000 raised for leukaemia research at online cookalong event in memory of Charter School North Dulwich head girl Ruby Fuller

The new project is being run by Dr Lisa Russell at Newcastle University’s centre for cancer.

Dr Russell said: “This project has been developing and growing for a while now. As a team, we are all really excited to get this underway so we can begin to start answering all the questions we have.

“Our hope is that the new knowledge we gain about how these enhancers communicate with the wrong genes means we are better prepared to think of ways to target these cells and improve the outcome for patients with blood cancers.

“Enhancers are involved in many different blood cancers. The knowledge gained from this work has the potential to reach many different blood cancers and the people affected by these.With this new knowledge, we hope to prevent cancer cells from surviving.”

To find out more about Ruby’s fund, visit::https://specialnamedfunds.cclg.org.uk/rubys-live-kindly-live-loudly-fund