In LOVE with Humanity

Hero #095: Richard Nares
Richard Nares lost his son in 2000 to a battle with cancer, and along the way met
dozens of families with children fighting a similar fight – families that didn‘t have the
means &/or the support to regularly get their children to treatment centers; single
moms forced to take leave from jobs without pay, kids having to ride the bus alone to
their chemotherapy appointments, siblings left home alone while their brothers or
sisters went to the hospital. Heartbroken by the broken U.S. healthcare system, Nares
decided to do something about it; originally heading to Rady Children‘s Hospital and
giving in-need kids and their families rides on his spare time …
Soon thereafter – when demand for his services began to outstrip his ability to
meet them – he started the Emilio Nares Foundation, a multi-driver, non-profit
organization that provides more than 2500 rides a year for low-income families with
children battling cancer. In addition to the free rides, Nares' nonprofit provides
support services and assistance to its clientele, many of whom do not speak English. It
also provides translation services and an on-site resource center at Rady to help those
in need navigate the often-complex insurance systems, pressing legal issues, and
complicated medical diagnoses.
―It's extremely tough these days, not just emotionally, but financially as
well. Sometimes, both parents have to either leave their job or cut back
severely. Some of them don't have an extra $10 to pay for cafeteria food … I
didn‘t even know what a foundation was. But I saw there was a need and I
wanted to address that need.‖ ~ Richard Nares
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