Former England captain Andrew Strauss recently shared his experience of how his late wife, Ruth, handled the heartbreaking news of being diagnosed with lung cancer. According to Strauss, Ruth experienced deep sadness as she came to terms with the fact that she wouldn’t be there to witness their children’s growth. However, she also displayed remarkable acceptance and a determination to put things in order before her time came to an end.
The Strauss family received the devastating news of Ruth’s diagnosis in December 2017. She was diagnosed with incurable ALK-positive small-cell lung cancer. Despite the initial shock, Ruth focused on preparing her family for a life without her presence.
Strauss, in an interview with The Telegraph, recalled a poignant moment when they received the phone call about Ruth’s diagnosis. Instead of getting overwhelmed by the news, Ruth’s first instinct was to offer the removal men a cup of tea. Strauss believes that this incident speaks volumes about Ruth’s character and the strength she displayed throughout her battle with cancer.
“I knew the way Ruth was built. When we first heard, I was distraught. It was such an incredible shock, I just thought, ‘I can’t believe this is happening to us.’ But Ruth’s mindset, rather than ‘Why me?’ was ‘Why not me? This happens to people every day. Why should I be any different?’ I found that surprising because she didn’t get angry about how unlucky she was,” Strauss said.
“She was very sad that she wasn’t going to be around to see the boys grow up, and because there was so much more she wanted to achieve in her life. But she was accepting, and that allowed her to come to me and say, ‘We need to prepare for what’s to come’. Her message was, ‘The only way I’m going to enjoy the rest of my time on this earth is if I know that we have things set up for when I leave’,” the former England opener added.
It is worth noting that Ruth developed lung cancer despite never having smoked a cigarette. Her diagnosis came after she began experiencing aches and pains, prompting her to seek medical attention.
Sadly, Ruth passed away at the age of 46, just four days after Christmas in 2018. Despite the immense challenges she faced, Ruth demonstrated tremendous resilience and stoicism in her final year.
In memory of his late wife, Strauss launched the Ruth Strauss Foundation. The foundation’s primary goal is to provide emotional support to families facing the impending loss of a parent. Additionally, it aims to raise awareness about the urgent need for research and collaboration in combating non-smoking-related lung cancers.
Notably, Strauss played 100 Test matches and 127 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for England. In Test matches, the left-handed batter amassed 7,037 runs, and in ODIs, he scored 4,205 runs.
