The San Diego Miramar Lions Club, while learning about organizations that help kids with cancer locally, learned about a wonderful, caring foundation called The Emilio Nares Foundation. The Emilio Nares Foundation helps families navigate through their child’s journey with cancer and other life-threatening issues. The foundation is based out of San Diego with an office with the Liberty Station complex. Emilio Nares Foundation provides free transportation to medical treatments and other free family support programs to underserved children with cancer. Not only is transportation available without a reservation, they also help families navigate through the child’s journey with cancer. Emilio’s Foundation gives families the gift of HOPE. Emilio’s foundation also helps families with end of life child and family care getting them through an unimaginable period of emotion and loss.
Emilio’s StoryWhen Emilio was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), his parents, Richard & Diane Nares, felt their world turn upside down while cycling through emotions including fear, promise, desperation, and hope. Despite a relapse, intensive chemotherapy, marrow registry search, and a transplant, the Nares family say they felt lucky. They had family, friends, even strangers reaching out to help them. However, while living at the hospital, it became clear not everyone had the same kind of support.
After Emilio passed away just before his sixth birthday, he passed the torch on to his parents who honored his memory by creating the Emilio Nares Foundation (ENF) to help low-income, under served families, meet basic needs – especially transportation to the hospital, doctor appointments, and more. Emilio’s spirit can be felt in the hundreds of young patients ENF helps annually — laughter in the van, a comforting hand during hard times at the hospital, and the smiling eyes of our families. He looks after us all.
There are no words to describe watching a family fight cancer and ultimately deal with the loss of a child. The Emilio Nares Foundation provides the much needed assistance and support including financial aid, funeral costs, fulfillment of children’s wishes, and meal cards during the last days of a child’s life. In addition, as part of the hospital’s palliative care program, the foundation provides purple hearts for end-of-life ceremonies provided by hospital representatives. The Lions of the San Diego Miramar Lions Club are proud to support the Emilio Nares Foundation, their vision, and their efforts via a monetary donation for any of their needs, while supporting these kids and their families.