Richard Nares

For many children fighting cancer, it can be extremely tough to get transportation to their chemotherapy appointments. That's where Richard Nares comes in. He created his organization, Emilio Nares Foundation, to provide transportation to people in need. He did this because he lost his son, Emilio, due to leukemia in March 1998. In addition to the free rides, Nares' nonprofit provides support services and assistance to the people that he helps.

Mr. Nares lost his son, Emilio, to leukemia when he was 5 years old. Richard was sad and he wanted to do something about it. He went back to Rady Children's Hospital, where Emilio had received most of his treatment, and asked how he could help. They said transportation. So Nares started low-income families picking up families in his old Buick. After a while he couldn't handle all the requests, so he decided to found the Emilio Nares Foundation in 2003. He teamed up with nurses and social workers from Rady to create a formal transportation program. He hired drivers and created a schedule for pickups and drop-offs. Soon he began helping families all across the county.

He made sure all the kids got to their appointments on time. One of the first children Nares helped was a 1-year-old boy with a brain tumor who required frequent chemotherapy treatments. With no car, his mom had to leave her home at 4 a.m. and take four buses to get her son to an 8:30 a.m. appointment. "It was over four hours one way by bus," Nares said. "And after the whole day of chemotherapy, it was the same amount of time back," he stated. Nares and his foundation stepped in, reducing all the time and pain. After a while he even began offering nonprofit support services and assistance to the people in need..

In addition to the free rides, Nares' nonprofit provides support services and assistance to people in need. Many of them do not speak English. Nares' group offers translation services and an resource center at Rady Children's Hospital; to help them out with hard insurance companies, legal problems and medical diagnoses. "Most of the families that we're dealing with are not just low-income, but they are living in poverty," Nares states. "This is what the the ENF does" he said.

To us, Richard Nate is a hero because he helps others in need. Even when he lost his son, he didn't stop thinking of others. He provided transportation to families that need it. He also provided assistance to others. This is why we think Richard Nares is a true hero.