Our People

Robert De Rose - Founder, Director, Secretary, Scientific Officer and Volunteer

I loved being Isabella’ dad, getting a big hug from her every morning before leaving for work and being greeted with “Daddy’s home, Daddy’s home” as I returned every evening. Isabella loved to talk and would tell me the story of her day in considerable length and detail. We would then read together until she was tired and she would fall asleep on my lap. This was our daily ritual. When she died, part of me died too.

When Isabella was diagnosed with DIPG we were told that there were no treatments that could save her. But how could there be no treatments for a deadly children’s cancer? As a scientist, the answer soon became evident, DIPG was poorly understood. DIPG was caught in a ‘Catch-22’; no funding for research and therefore no way of generating data to apply for funding. So, we set about breaking this cycle so that one day, other parents can instead be told ‘Your child has a brain tumour, but we have a treatment for it”.

I still long for Isabella’s hugs.

Khush De Rose - Director and Volunteer

I would describe myself as many other mums do, a mother to three beautiful children, Damien, Gabriel and Isabella. I always dreamt of being a mum and working with children. That dream was complete when I started working as a Teacher’s Aide at Isabella’s school. I was within my comfort zone, everything was good around me, so I was good. I was not challenged… until Isabella was diagnosed at age 6 and died 6 months later. Today you can describe me as a mum, a Teacher’s Aide and as a Founder of a charity that challenges me every day. I’m comfortable with that.

Tony Ruberto - Director and Volunteer

I have run my own plastering company for the past 36 years; Marcus would always say “I want to grow up and be a worker like my Dad”. I love this so much; it would always bring a smile to my face when Marcus expressed his love for me. Marcus would work in the garden with me cutting the grass with his little toy mower or get in the back of my work van and help clean it out, always working with dad around the house. My little shadow. I miss watching him grow into a young man, I am saddened that he missed out on life. Establishing the charity and raising vital funds for research gives me hope that one day children diagnosed with DIPG will be given the opportunity to grow up and live out their dreams.

Daniela Ruberto - Director, Finance Officer and Volunteer

My family is everything to me, together with my husband Tony I’m a proud mum to three gorgeous boys Marcus, James, and Simon. I work in education as a Learning Diversity Leader in the primary school sector and have worked in education for over 25 years. It was my childhood dream to be a teacher, get married and be a mum (to 3 boys funnily enough). I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunities to fulfill my dream. Losing my eldest child Marcus is the most devastating pain I have ever felt, life as I knew it changed in that single still moment and it is etched in my heart forever. Today I endeavour to create a new “normal” for our family every day. My work within the charity is my new normal, it’s my “Marcus time”, a space where I can work towards giving hope to children diagnosed with DIPG.

Contact Us

Email:

info@isabella

andmarcus

foundation.org

Khush De Rose:

0434 430 035

Daniela Ruberto:

0412 339 673

For media enquiries:

Robert De Rose:

0422 625 913