Three basketball stars such as Pierre Oriola, Jordi Trias and Víctor Sada visited the Vall d’Hebron Children’s Hospital on behalf of The Ricky Rubio Foundation. We are grateful for this wonderful gesture and priceless collaboration as a foundation. The three of them brought hope, joy, and encouragement to the youngest children and their families at this delicate time of the year. We will never forget this gifted visit just before Christmas. Thank you, Pierre, Jordi, and Victor!
At the end of the tour, general practitioners and doctors also thanked the experience at the Children’s Hospital Auditorium, where we had two pleasant surprises. First, we received a message from Luca de la Vega, the boy who gives name and meaning to the LUCA PROJECT. When he suffered a very aggressive cancer two years ago, Ricky visited Luca in his house at the request of his coach of the Mataró Basket Club, who had been Ricky’s coach at the same age years ago.
They became friends and when Luca went through the worst moments of the treatment, Ricky invited him to an NBA game, a dream and a gift that he could fulfill a few months later, already recovered. Luca and his family traveled to New York to watch the Knicks-Utah Game live at Madison Square Garden last season. An experience Ricky Rubio has wanted to repeat this season with three children, oncology patients from Vall d’Hebron, Eric, Kyle and Ona, whose trips are already being prepared.
Luca, whose mother is from Minnesota, has spent the holidays at his grandparents’ house and wanted to be in this meeting. In fact, Ricky’s three friends could greet one of them, Kyle, at the Hospital’s premises. And, Ricky Rubio himself, sent his message to everyone from Phoenix, especially to Luca, to his friends, to the patients and to the people in charge of Vall d’Hebron for making this Ricky Rubio Foundation action possible within the framework of the LUCA PROJECT.
Screening of the documentary ‘STRONGER TOGETHER’, a story about the hard experience of childhood cancer and the friendship between Luca and Ricky, was very moving for everyone.