The Torres Family

I went missing in a different city after my phone, keys, and credit card were stolen from my purse last week!! That night I made my way back to my hotel, but the next morning I had no way of telling my friends or family I was stranded (no phone). That's when the hotel concierge called an uber for me to get to a phone store.

As my rental car was getting towed because I had no keys, the uber driver that picked me up, Raul Torres, saw that I was in need. Even though I was scared, I told him I'd figure it out and just needed a ride to buy phone. He wouldn't accept that and insisted on staying with me until he knew I was going to get home. His instincts were right, and thankfully he didn't just drop me off!!

I was unable to get a new phone, (I didn't have access to my phone plan of course), so he sacrificed his entire day to make sure I was safe. He picked me up for what he thought would be a normal ride that morning and never left my side. After I couldn't get a phone, we got coffee, he brought me to a police station and helped me file a police report, he got me food, helped me get a rental car, and by the end of the day, he ended up figuring out how to track down my phone, so I didn't even need to get a new one! What could’ve turned into an emergency situation felt like a fun day with a new friend because of Raul.

He picked me up at 10 AM and stayed with me until I had everything I needed to get home at 6 PM, which should have been his entire day of work. When we decided to go to a Mexican restaurant for food, he started showing me pictures of him and his family.

I learned that Raul has a daughter in high school who is currently struggling through chemo. He told me all he wants is for his daughter to have a normal end to her senior year, and to be able to go to big events like prom and graduation. After speaking to him and his wife, I realized how lucky I was to have gotten that specific Uber ride. I want to help any way I can, so a Gofundme seems like the best way.

Raul's dad has cancer as well and is under their care, so his family is currently caring for two family members with cancer in one house. Meeting Raul reminded me that we meet people for a reason, and I'd love to say thank you!! Anything helps :)