An Uber driver who stop his shift to assist a stranded girl in California will profit from over $230,000 in donations after the girl’s TikTok movies in regards to the expertise grabbed the eye of thousands and thousands.
That is in response to Becca Moore, 23, who began the marketing campaign to assist Raul Torres pay household medical payments and different bills after she says Torres sacrificed his day to assist her.
Moore lives in Nashville and was visiting California for the 2022 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Competition, she informed USA TODAY. She went to a non-public social gathering the place she misplaced observe of her telephone, bank card and rental automobile keys — she suspected they had been stolen.
The subsequent day, she would meet Torres, an Uber driver whose daughter and father each had most cancers. The expertise would change each Torres and Moore’s lives.
However first, panicking, Moore went to her good friend’s lodge in Indio, California, the place the competition is held. She spent the evening in her good friend’s lodge room. The subsequent morning, her good friend flew out to Canada. Moore wanted to get a brand new telephone, so she went to the lodge foyer to ask concierge for assist calling an Uber to the Dash retailer.
That is when Torres confirmed up.
“All I had was a bit of paper with the Dash retailer handle on it,” stated Moore.
When she bought into the automobile with Torres, she tried her greatest to behave regular, however in actuality, she had no telephone, no bank card, no automobile keys and her rental automobile was being towed.
Torres, a father of three, may sense one thing was improper and finally, Moore informed him the reality.
“I used to be like ‘I bought robbed final evening,'” she stated. “I used to be type of downplaying it and he was like ‘No. That is really unhealthy. I am not going to allow you to go into the Dash retailer and depart you. I will simply wait and be sure you get a telephone.'”
He finally got here contained in the Dash retailer to test on her. She’s glad he did as a result of she did not know her plan info and could not get a brand new telephone.
That is when Torres determined he was finished driving for the day and made Moore his precedence. To assist her settle down, he took her to Starbucks.
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Moore knew her mother’s telephone quantity by coronary heart, so she known as and requested her mom to trace the telephone. As soon as they bought an handle, Torres satisfied a reluctant Moore to go to the police. Police took them to the Airbnb the place the telephone was positioned. The proprietor allow them to inside to go looking, however to no avail. Finally, police bowed out and left, Moore stated.
“They thought I used to be just a few social gathering lady and so they had been like ‘You do not have a telephone. Sorry,'” Moore stated.
However it was far more critical than that, she says. Moore was removed from dwelling and stranded. She and Torres went again to the home repeatedly to go looking till lastly, there was a breakthrough and he or she discovered her telephone.
“We discovered it on the gate,” she stated. “It was so relieving as a result of I knew I may depart now. My bank card was within the (telephone) case, so I may get a rental automobile to get to LA so I may get to an airport or one thing.”
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The day every little thing went down, Moore talked to Torres’ spouse, Linda, on the telephone. She needed to fill her in since her husband had been busy. His spouse stated he helps folks on a regular basis.
Moore and Torres additionally had dinner that evening and bought to know one another extra. They casually chatted about Moore’s birthday, June 16, which was important for Torres.
“June 16 is the day that my daughter was recognized with most cancers two years in the past,” he informed Moore. “I used to be like ‘Oh my God. This man’s daughter has most cancers. I simply wasted his total day.”
That is when she knew she had to assist the household.
The Ohio native has been an influencer since Might and already had at the very least 800,000 followers on TikTok when she met Torres. She knew his daughter, an 18-year-old highschool senior named Myra, was present process chemotherapy.
She began a GoFundMe on April 28 to assist the household cowl prices. The GoFundMe’s objective began at $1,000 however it has finished so properly that Moore elevated it. As of Friday afternoon, they’ve raised over $233,000.
“It hit $1,000 in a single hour after which $100,000 in 24 hours,” Moore stated. “That was probably the most insane factor ever. I nonetheless cannot imagine it.”
Torres’ father additionally had most cancers and handed away the day after the fundraiser went stay, Moore stated.
Torres informed Southern California information station KESQ that he nearly did not settle for the journey. He was trying to make some extra cash to help his daughter although.
The cash will assist the household cowl excellent medical payments and different bills. Torres desires to open a taco restaurant sometime and Moore hopes he can.
Most just lately, Moore went to a most cancers profit occasion with him in San Francisco. She additionally met his household on Mom’s Day.
“I frolicked with him and his spouse,” Moore stated. “I like them. We went out for drinks and every little thing. He is in actually good spirits nowadays, besides this week has been exhausting as a result of his burial was two days in the past for his dad.”
“I would like him to have the ability to open a enterprise like that in order that he is set for all times,” she stated.
She has additionally gotten to know his daughter, Myra, fairly properly. They noticed birthstone necklaces on the occasion they attended collectively and bought matching ones.
The household is speaking about occurring a visit with Moore to Ensenada, generally known as the wine capital of Mexico.
Moore stated it appears like a dream to have made such a distinction of their lives. On that fateful day that they met, he did not cease his good deeds together with her. Whereas they had been contained in the police station, a Spanish-speaking household walked in and could not perceive the police.
“He began translating,” she stated. “I additionally noticed him tip this Starbucks worker like $20. He’s simply probably the most beneficiant man when he should not be that beneficiant as a result of he must be centered on himself, however he is simply so selfless. He modified the best way I take a look at the world.”
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW staff. She is from Norfolk, Virginia and loves all issues horror, witches, Christmas and meals.
Saleen Martin, sdmartin@usatoday.com, Twitter: @Saleen_Martin
