Ruky Anighoro’s Unforgettable Day: Surprises and Dreams Come True with Chelsea Foundation

Ruky Anighoro’s Unforgettable Day: Surprises and Dreams Come True with Chelsea Foundation

Ruky Anighoro was given a day full of surprises at Chelsea’s training ground last week, courtesy of Chelsea Foundation. The 14-year-old, who has a form of brittle bone disease, was recently presented with the Special Recognition Award at the WellChild Awards, a category sponsored by Chelsea Foundation.

A day to remember for Ruky. 💙@CFCFoundation | @WellChild pic.twitter.com/r02RasQi24

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 31, 2023

On the night, he was provided with a signed pair of boots from Ben Chilwell before receiving a special video message from Chilwell, inviting Ruky down to the training ground.

The day began with Ruky, along with his dad (Odafe), mum (Ufuoma) and sister (Faith) meeting with Chelsea TV’s Lee Parker in the press room. While the family took pictures, they were surprised by former captain John Terry who sat with the family and discussed their love for Chelsea.

The surprises did not end there. Ruky then met with Chilwell who presented Ruky with a signed copy of EA Sports FC 24 before meeting with head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

It was then time for Ruky to head out to the training pitch to watch the rest of his heroes in action. Ruky said:

‘I really liked meeting John Terry, it was a big surprise, as was meeting my favourite current players Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling and Reece James. Ben gave me a signed copy of EA Sports FC 24 which was amazing and I will remember this day forever.’

To complete the day, the squad joined Ruky at the end of training to sign memorabilia and for a group photo.

Ruky’s mum, Ufuoma, said:

‘We’ve always dreamt of taking Ruky to a Chelsea match or bringing him to the training ground, but this has gone way beyond what we’d ever be able to do for him. For a child like Ruky, who loves football but can’t play, for Chelsea Foundation to make this day happen for him, and to meet the players, is so amazing and I’m really grateful. It’s such a special moment for him. It’s a dream come true and he will treasure this for a long time.’

Matt James, CEO of WellChild, said:

‘We’re very proud to have Ruky as a 2023 WellChild Awards winner. It was a joy to partner with the Chelsea Foundation this year who sponsored Ruky’s Special Recognition Award and have gone above and beyond to create some fantastic memories with Ruky, who is a huge Chelsea fan. By joining forces like this it allows us to really shine a light on the inspirational stories of our children, young people and families.’