Judith's Wish

Hope Still Remains

Donate to Judith's Wish today

It was just another ordinary day when we lost Ruben…

Ruben and his dad went to the cinema. Ruben had an allergy to cow’s milk, so he was really careful. He wanted popcorn and told the staff about his allergies to make sure it was okay for him to eat. He was told it was safe.

But it wasn’t. It wasn’t safe. Ruben ate the popcorn and within 15 minutes he had a reaction. Ruben went into anaphylactic shock. And in just 30 minutes he was gone. We lost him. We lost our precious, much-loved Ruben that day. He was just 14 years old.

I can’t put into words how that felt. How it still feels. To be told that they don’t know how this happened. That still, no one can give me an answer, when Ruben did everything he was supposed to do. We live with the loss of Ruben every day, and we don’t want another family to experience the pain of losing a child who has allergies.

We need to stop this from happening. We need to make sure another family doesn’t have to go through this. Please support Allergy UK through this campaign, my campaign, so that we can stop this from ever happening again…

My wish is for better labelling of food and drinks. I also want to raise awareness about living with allergic disease and to fundraise for Allergy UK. This is why this campaign is important. Why your help is so crucial.

Ruben's Story

In April 2019, Ruben went to the cinema to watch a film with his dad. Sadly, he wouldn’t come home again. Despite taking precautions and flagging his life-threatening allergies with staff at the cinema, Ruben was told some popcorn he fancied, was safe to eat. But it wasn’t. It wasn’t safe. Ruben’s mum Judith is now working with us here at Allergy UK to make sure this never happens to another family again. Through her campaign, Judith’s Wish aims to raise awareness about the allergic community, appeal for better labelling of food and drinks and raise vital funds for Allergy UK. This is the story of Ruben, his mum Judith and their family.

Please give whatever you can. It doesn’t matter if it’s £1 or £100, just what you can afford. Whether it’s a one-off donation or if you’d like to become a regular supporter of Allergy UK, literally every penny helps.

Your donation will help us to continue to raise awareness about allergic disease, the need for better labelling in the foods industry, and provide lifeline support for people like Ruben. It really is time to take allergy seriously.

Click here to donate today

It only takes a minute, but the effects of your donation could last a lifetime. It could save someone’s life. Thank you.

Cheques can be made payable to Allergy UK (British Allergy Foundation) and sent to Allergy UK, Planwell House, 35 Edgington Way, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 5BH.

About Allergy UK

Allergy UK successfully delivers critical services to the allergy community nationwide. Our mission is for everyone in the UK to take allergy seriously and our vision is that no one should die from allergy.

We operate a national Helpline for the allergic community and, employ skilled clinicians and dietitians to provide vital services for those effected by allergic disease.