Trust fund will help others follow in footsteps of caring vet who worked at West Norfolk practices Ruby Cabral

The family of a woman whose main ambition in life was to look after animals has set up a charity page in her memory to help others follow in her footsteps.

Ruby Cabral (née Goodhew), 28, who worked at vet practices in West Norfolk, lost her five-year battle with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) last month, leaving behind her new husband of just 24 hours, Sergio Cabral, and her grieving family.

However, rather than dwell on the heartbreak of Ruby’s death, her family – mum Krissy Hobbs, stepdad Garry Hobbs, dad Jamie Broughton, brothers George and Jack Broughton, and sister Rosie Barritt – together with Sergio have launched an appeal to set up a trust fund in her name.

The fund aims to help trainee veterinary nurses with the costs associated with their training including travel, uniforms and books.

Ruby, who lived in Wisbech, was a Registered Veterinary Nurse and worked in multiple local practices including Medivet in South Wootton, Long Sutton and Wisbech, as well as at Terrington Vets.

Testament to Ruby’s popularity, inspired largely by her social media posts documenting her fight with the AML, telling her story in her own words, is the fact the total so far raised is more than seven times the initial target of £500.

Ruby’s proud mum Krissy explained: “From a very young age all Ruby wanted to be was a vet nurse and to care for animals.

“She was very passionate about all animals and would regularly adopt one and bring it home.

“That was just how Ruby was. She took her veterinary nursing exams just as she was diagnosed with leukaemia and she qualified whilst she was undergoing treatment at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

“She worked throughout her illness, when she was able to, and was determined to be the best vet nurse she could be.

“On one of the journeys home from the hospital when she knew it was terminal she told me her only regret was that she was not the nurse she knew she could be – she believed she would have excelled even more than she already had and would have loved to train others and she regretted not being able to do that.”

Ruby, who was devoted to Sergio who had been her partner throughout her fight, was determined to marry her sweetheart and had started to plan her wedding when she was told she had only weeks to live.

Her friends and family immediately launched an appeal to give Ruby the wedding of her dreams, but sadly it was not to be, and instead, she married Sergio in a quiet bedside ceremony surrounded by the people she loved.

Just 24 hours later she lost her fight, but the family are now more determined than ever to make sure she is not forgotten and have decided to call the trust ‘The Ruby Goodhew Educational Trust Fund’.

At the moment money raised will be split equally between the trust and the Ellie Bray Memorial Fund – which was set up in memory of one of Ruby’s friends who also lost the fight against AML and has raised thousands for research into the disease.

However, going forward the family, who have a lot of experience in charity work as they are behind Feed Fenland which provides a hot meal for those in need in the Wisbech area, will continue to fundraise for the trust and help fulfil Ruby’s dream of helping others qualify for the job she loved.

To donate, visit the Justgiving page here.

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