The Ricky Rubio Foundation was present at the main event of the Vall d’Hebron Hospital during the World Cancer Day celebration on its campus. Throughout the afternoon session, several specialists of all kinds, oncologists, psychologists, researchers, and clinical executives took part in the colloquium. Without a doubt, one of the main participants was Luca de la Vega and the documentary Stronger Together.
The documentary had a great impact on the audience. It’s about Luca, a teenage basketball player from Mataro surviving with cancer treatment.
On that occasion, his coach at the modest Maresme club, who had coached Ricky Rubio at the same age as Luca, asked him to visit him. “Your friend,” Luca told the coach, “looks a lot like Ricky Rubio,” was Luca’s reaction, surprised and amazed.
They kept in touch throughout the treatment. At one point, Ricky invited him to a Utah Jazz game in New York – an invitation that came true at the Knicks-Utah game in New York’s Madison the previous season. It was an experience that Ricky Rubio wanted to turn into a stable project for his foundation.
‘Project Luca’ is an initiative of The Ricky Rubio Foundation. The Vall d’Hebron Hospital and their Pediatric Oncology Department are its contributors. Thanks to this initiative, three young patients will repeat Luca’s encounter by experiencing an NBA game with Ricky Rubio. But this time wearing the Phoenix Suns T-shirt. The chosen ones for this adventure are Èric, Ona and Kale.
After the documentary screening finished, everyone applauded. The campus auditorium was full of emotions. Luca himself took part in his direct testimony at the round table. That set as an example of this emotional therapy in which clinical experts are finding invaluable and effective support. This is what The Ricky Rubio Foundation’s Project is all about. Luca acts as a mentor and accompanist for new joiners to make their experience interesting and positive.
The table, moderated by TV3 journalist Cristina Riba, included specialized professionals from different backgrounds: oncology, psycho-oncology, nursing, and social work.
