Ruben
A beautiful, bright, determined and inspirational 5 year old.
A barefoot adventurer,
A dinosaur and creepy crawly explorer,
Star Wars and Lego obsessed,
A cheeky and witty boy who always asked questions,
A lover of the ocean and water,
And, if there was music he was moving to the beat.
Every day was an adventure when you were around Ruben.
‘Despite being only five years old, Ruben was a born advocate for other children. He was empathetic, always asking the nurses and doctors if the other kids on the ward were okay. Even in the midst of his own challenges, he was constantly thinking of others’.
- Ruben’s parents, Tiarn and Ben
16 months to find a suitable stem cell donor is far too long to wait.
We hope in the future, no other child or family will have to endure such an agonising delay.
The more people who join the stem cell donor registry, the greater the chances others will have the opportunity to live the long, healthy and adventurous life that Ruben was sadly unable to have.
Save a life and ‘Roll Up For Ruben’
A force for life
It is our hope, and Ruben’s wish that everyone considers donating blood products: blood, plasma, or platelets (which Ruben affectionately called “mango smoothies”).
Never underestimate how lifesaving your donation can be. Life is the reason | Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
If you’re 17 - 35 years, please consider joining the Stem Cell Donor Registry at stemcelldonors.org.au. And if you’re over 35, start the conversation - talk with your family, friends, sports teams, community groups, and workplace, and encourage them to join.
