Ruby
When parents Laurie and Craig found out their daughter Ruby had cancer, one of the hardest parts was explaining to the six-year-old that this was very different from when her tooth fell out.
“She was sitting on my lap and I remember her looking up at me saying...
Mummy, is this worse than when I knocked my teeth out?"
"And honestly, I don't know how I responded. It was just such a crazy moment in life where you think, 'Darling, this is going to be quite a ride for you.'".
Ruby is one of the 2026 faces of Jeans for Genes, the iconic fundraising day that supports research at Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI).
It was during the COVID-19 lockdown that Ruby’s parents noticed she had started to complain of constant aches and pains. However, around on New Year’s Eve she went rapidly downhill, so they took her to hospital.
“I don't really know what I was expecting to be honest," Laurie said. “But it was quite shocking to us when some of her test results came back and they told us it was something quite serious, and they were contacting the oncology department to come and speak to us. I don't think I heard much after that."
Ruby was diagnosed with T-cell leukaemia and her oncologist, Professor Luciano Dalla-Pozza, who is also a member of CMRI’s Board of Directors, told them what was to come.
I still won't forget this – he said the next two years of your life are going to be a lot different to what it is now."
“I was thinking, what does he mean two years? We didn't have that understanding that she was going to have chemotherapy, lumbar punctures, bone marrow tests and countless blood tests. I was in shock."
Craig said he remembers crying when he heard the news.
"Ruby was like 'Daddy, why are you crying?'"
"Because the stress of the situation and not really knowing what it meant for her – it was just an unbelievable moment in our lives."
Despite the challenges, Ruby came through treatment extremely well and is now a strong and healthy 11-year-old in remission. Craig said another vivid memory for him was being asked if they would donate her blood and bone marrow to research.
“For us, it was just a no-brainer to say yes," Craig said. “Anything we can do to help find a future cure for this horrible disease is something we wanted to be a part of. And organisations like Children’s Medical Research Institute can hopefully one day find a cure for diseases and cancers like leukaemia."
Laurie and Craig said while they are grateful for the impact research has had on Ruby’s life, they have met other families who didn’t have the same outcome.
“Some are still battling with it, they haven't been quite as lucky and unfortunately, we've met others who haven't made it through.
We're just very grateful.”
Craig recalls Dr Dalla-Pozza explaining that leukaemia is caused by genetic mutations, and that scientists still don’t know what triggers these changes. The research at CMRI gives Laurie and Craig hope. “If you can find the answer to why it happens, you can stop it happening,” Laurie said. “I really would love to see in my lifetime a cure for leukaemia."
Jeans for Genes is one of Australia’s longest-running charity days and this year it will be held on Thursday 6 August.
Sign up now to fundraise your own way. You can Bake it Blue with a cake stall, get active by walking, running, or skipping or simply wear jeans - just like millions of Australians have done for more than 30 years.