Ropes & Gray Donates More than £50,500 to Childhood Cancer Research in Memory of Kaiya Patel

In The News
October 24, 2019

Ropes & Gray donated more than £50,500 to childhood cancer research charity Children with Cancer UK in memory of Kaiya Patel, daughter of firm antitrust partner Ruchit Patel (London).  Kaiya passed away in January 2019 at age six after suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The firm pledged to donate £80 for every lawyer who met a 20-hour pro bono goal by June 30, 2019, and more than 600 lawyers achieved the target. Funds raised will go toward childhood cancer research to help other children affected by the disease.

Kaiya, from Rickmansworth, England, was five years old when she was diagnosed with ALL in March 2018. After undergoing chemotherapy and receiving a bone marrow transplant, she contracted a virus and died on January 13, 2019.

“Kaiya told us so many times after she got sick that she wanted to dedicate her life to helping other cancer sufferers,” said Ruchit Patel. “She can’t do that in her physical form anymore, but I am certain that she looks down delighted that she galvanized this effort.” 

“Children with Cancer UK was deeply saddened to hear of Kaiya’s death and we are incredibly grateful to receive this generous in memory donation,” remarked Children with Cancer UK acting CEO Mark Brider. “Around 4,500 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK, with 250 sadly losing their lives to the disease. This legacy, in Kaiya’s name, will enable us to continue to invest funds into vital lifesaving research which looks at causes, prevention and treatment of childhood cancer in the hope that one day no child will die of cancer.”   

Ropes & Gray managing partner David Chapin said, “I am so pleased that our firm’s donation will continue work inspired by Kaiya and go toward funding childhood cancer research to help other children and families facing this disease. I am also extremely proud of the work so many of our lawyers did to meet this pro bono challenge.”