“She was very sad that she wasn’t going to be around to see the boys grow up” - Andrew Strauss on how late wife dealt with cancer diagnosis

Former England captain Andrew Strauss has opened up on how his late wife Ruth dealt with the tragic news of being diagnosed with lung cancer.

He revealed that she was very sad, as she wouldn't be around to see their children grow up, but added that she was also ‘accepting’ and prepared to set up things before leaving the world.

The Strauss family learnt of Ruth’s diagnosis in December 2017. She was suffering from incurable ALK-positive small-cell lung cancer. Overcoming the initial shock, Ruth worked towards getting the family ready for life without her.

The couple have two sons, Sam and Luca, and the family were in the midst of moving house when the dreaded phone call came. In an interview to The Telegraph, Strauss revealed that Ruth’s first words after learning her cancer diagnosis were to ask the removal men if they wanted a cup of tea. He said:

“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."

He added:

“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.

We were honoured to have Ruth's mother, Cath, at @HomeOfCricket for last year's #RedForRuth

More wonderful memories will be made next week ♥️

➡️ shop.ruthstraussfoundation.com https://t.co/BucNcX53xC

Ruth developed lung cancer despite never having smoked a cigarette. Her diagnosis was confirmed after she complained about aches and pains.

What's the Ruth Strauss foundation?

In memory of his late wife Ruth, who passed away in December 2018, Strauss launched the Ruth Strauss Foundation.

As per the website, the aim of the foundation is to provide emotional support for families to prepare for the death of a parent, raise awareness of the need for more research and collaboration in the fight against non-smoking lung cancers.

What a day yesterday! Delighted to be working with @RuthStraussFdn to deliver #RedforRuth2023 such fun at @TrentBridge yesterday. Thank you to @SkyCricket @ECB_cricket @AndrewStrauss and all at Day 3 of #WomensAshes test. You were wonderful ❤️❤️ twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/h9Ls4EcTDC

Meanwhile, Red for Ruth Day will be observed on Day 2 of the second Ashes 2023 Test at Lord’s on Thursday (June 29). Spectators, supporters, broadcasters, volunteers and sponsors have been requested to wear red and raise funds to support families facing grief.