Ruby Goodhew was an exceptional Registered Veterinary Nurse living and working in the Fenland area.

Ruby always had a passion for caring for animals and by the time she was a young adult she owned her own ponies, cats and a dog. This passion led her to want to train to be a Vet. Mid-way through her A-Levels, she concluded she was more a vocational rather than academic student and decided to pursue a Veterinary Nursing career instead.

Whilst working as a Student Veterinary Nurse Ruby began her training at Easton College and completed it at the Medivet Training College. Ruby had such an eagerness to learn and was so committed to the training. She flourished practically but struggled with dyslexia and found written exams challenging. She didn’t pass first-time every time but Ruby knew she had found her true calling and was devoted to qualifying. 

Ruby started to become unwell as she approached her final practical exams (the OSCE’s) in the summer of 2018. Suffering from severe flu-like symptoms, fatigue, fainting, bruising and nosebleeds, Ruby still managed to complete her OSCE’s which required over a three hours’ drive to attend. Just days later, Ruby was admitted into Addenbrookes Hospital in a critical state and was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Immediately starting chemotherapy, Ruby’s life changed forever. 

Ruby’s journey was long, extremely hard, and not without complications. Whilst undergoing intensive chemotherapy, she received the wonderful results that she passed her OSCE’s and opened her RCVS certificate and badge in her hospital bed. She was so proud to finally be a Registered Veterinary Nurse,. This news motivated her during difficult moments in her treatment, determined to return to the job she loved. 

Ruby was set to return to work as an RVN in Autumn 2020, after over two years of treatment. Sadly one week before starting, Ruby relapsed and it was on the advice of her consultants that she reluctantly resigned from her job and feared she would never work again. Despite trauma, ill health, financial hardship and personal loss, she didn’t give up. In a recovery period between relapse, Ruby was able to join the team at Terrington Vets and fulfil the role she worked so hard to achieve.

Ruby was extremely passionate about patient welfare, improving industry standards, and professional development. She especially had a love for emergency and critical care, for which she started studying for a certificate whilst unable to work. Ruby showed support to those in training and was eager to become a clinical coach for the next generation of students. 

She was grateful to go to work every day she could, but her health began to decline after a short time at Terrington. In September 2022 she relapsed for a fourth time and began another cycle of aggressive treatment. Whilst travelling back from Addenbrookes one day Ruby said, “If I hadn’t had Leukaemia I really think I could have been an excellent Veterinary Nurse. Not just ‘good’ but really good, someone who would get to the top of their game.”

After a five and a half year battle, on 28th October 2023, Ruby died at home with her family and husband at her bedside. She was 28 years old.

A huge part of Ruby’s adult life was spent receiving treatment, but Leukaemia did not define Ruby. She always identified as a Veterinary Nurse, determined to get back to nursing her patients and not to spend long being one herself. Ruby never got the chance to make the difference she wanted in her industry. But there is the opportunity to support those who come after her. Let her legacy not be of Leukaemia and sickness, but of supporting other young nurses be the best nurse they can be.