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.

Find out below how we’re asking you to support Judith’s Wish this spring…

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.

Your support can help make this wish come true for the millions living with food allergy, and will provide a lifeline of support for people like Ruben.

Spring into action and challenge yourself this Easter:

  1. Text to Donate

Instead of buying Easter eggs, gift your money to Allergy UK.

Text JWAUK5 to 70450 to donate £5 and to hear more from us.

Text JWAUKNOINFO5 to 70450 to donate £5 and opt out of marketing communication.

  1. Join us at Hope Hoot

Get your tickets to The Hope Hoot on the 22nd April, in Blackheath, Southeast London.

This special evening is in honour of the memory of Ruben Bousquet, who tragically lost his life to a serious allergic reaction.

There’ll be comedy, entertainment and music from stars of the West End and beyond.

Proceeds from the evening will go to charities Allergy UK and Anaphylaxis UK.

Click here for more information.

  1. An Easter Challenge

Take advantage of the longer, brighter spring days by taking part in a sponsored personal challenge or organising a small Easter event, and donate proceeds to Judith’s Wish.

Here are some ideas:

  • Take part in a sponsored 1 hour activity. Could you hop your way around your garden for one whole hour? This a great one to get children involved in.
  • Take part in a sponsored Run/Walk/Cycle. Map out a tricky or lengthy route to tackle.
  • Get friends and family involved in a sponsored Easter Egg hunt. Participants donate to take part.
  • Gather friends and family together for an Easter themed pub quiz. Could you even go one step further and ask your local pub if they would host the quiz for you? Participants donate to take part.
  • Arrange a small sports tournament. Ideal if you are already a member of a sports club, but if not, think about gathering friends and family together for a tournament of rounders or cricket in the park. Participants donate to take part.

Click here for our fundraising pack, which is filled with lots more fundraising ideas and tips on collecting donations.

  1. Sign up to a challenge event

If you want to really challenge yourself, why not join #TeamAllergyUK and sign up to a fundraising event.

We currently have spots available for a number of nationwide Ultra Challenges.

Click here for more information.

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.