After her phone, keys, and credit card were stolen from her purse on April 17, post-Coachella, Becca Moore found herself stranded in Indio, CA. With no way of notifying her family or friends of her fraught situation, a member of the concierge at the hotel she stayed at the previous night called Becca an Uber to venture to a phone store. Little did she know that the Uber driver—kind stranger and father, Raul Torres—would go the extra mile to ensure this festival-goer got home safely.
In a now-viral tweet on Twitter, Becca shared the incredible story about how the driver stayed with her until she could find her way home safely. “Raul Torres was the Uber driver that picked me up. I told him I was fine and he could just drop me off, but he refused because his instincts told him I needed help…Thank God,” she shared in a statement exclusively to Festival Insider.
After finding out she was ineligible to get a new cell phone because she couldn’t access her phone plan, Raul treated Becca to coffee as they figured out her next steps. After taking her to a local police station to file a police report, Becca’s new friend helped her get a rental car, and finally, around 6 pm that day, they were able to track down her cell phone—situated on the gate of an Airbnb, according to Becca.
To wind down after the tumultuous day’s activities, Becca and Raul headed to a Mexican restaurant for dinner, where the Uber driver shared photos and stories about his life and family. Becca learned that this kind stranger who rescued her from what could’ve been a nightmare experience had a daughter named Myra, who was going through chemo at a time in her life that should be filled with excitement for graduation and prom.
“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. 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,” wrote Becca on the gofundme page.
The once-stranded Coachella attendee has organized a gofundme to raise money for chemotherapy for Myra and cancer treatment for Raul’s father, hoping to lessen the financial burden on the kind driver who helped her in a time of desperation.
“He didn’t charge me for his entire day of work and even bought me food. He saved me from what could’ve been an emergency situation without expecting anything in return, so I’m raising money for him. Raul Torres is the best driver I’ve ever had, and he has permanently inspired me to spread generosity!”
Visit this link if you’d like to donate to the Torres Family gofundme.