World Cancer Day 2025: Cricketers who are working for Cancer initiatives

4. Andrew Strauss

Sir Andrew Strauss, the former England Captain, turned personal tragedy into a mission to help others after losing his wife, Ruth Strauss, to non-smoking lung cancer in 2018. In her memory, he founded the Ruth Strauss Foundation (RSF) to support families facing similar challenges and to fund crucial research into rare forms of lung cancer.

Ruth was diagnosed with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer in December 2017. Despite undergoing treatment, she passed away on December 29, 2018, at the age of 46. During her illness, Andrew and Ruth received counselling, which played a crucial role in preparing them and their sons, Sam and Luca, for the emotional toll of her condition. This experience inspired them to ensure other families could access similar support.

The RSF focuses on raising awareness, funding research, and providing emotional and psychological help for families dealing with terminal illnesses. One of its key objectives is to help parents fight through difficult conversations with their children about death. To generate funds, the foundation organizes events, such as a charity golf day in partnership with the Lord’s Taverners.