Making a difference
New non-profit helps people "leave" without regret
Romana and Alex enjoying their day in South Padre Island
Alex and his family learned about many sea animals
Alex's wife Ramona helps him gear up for a family boat trip
Alex Vargas and his family at South Padre Island
It seems like every day another non-profit pops up. There are so many problems in the world and so many people wanting to solve them. They all tug at your heart strings, but I recently discovered one that tugged a bit harder than most.
Without Regrets Foundation is a new non-profit created by Tara Ballard and Che Heinroth, two moms from Dripping Springs wanting to help terminally ill parents create lasting memories with their family.
Their inspiration stems from a friend who lost her husband to cancer before realizing his dream of taking his son to Yankee Stadium.
Ballard and Heinroth decided something had to be done for families facing this situation stating on their website that "the memories a child has of a parent can last a lifetime and for some children memories are all they have." This belief lead the two on a fundraising journey and search for their first family.
Their search lead them to Alex Vargas, a 38-year-old with End Stage ALS. With a prognosis of six months or less to live, Alex wanted nothing more than to take his wife and three kids on a fishing trip to the Texas Gulf Coast. When Alex was younger he loved to fish and wanted to share that experience with his family, some of whom had never seen the beach.
Without Regrets Foundation is a new non-profit created by Tara Ballard and Che Heinroth, two moms from Dripping Springs wanting to help terminally ill parents create lasting memories with their family.
Now, a fishing trip may not sound like a big deal to some but when you are knee deep in medical bills, confined to a wheel chair and speak through a computer device, a trip to the beach seems daunting and impossible. But nothing is impossible when you have Ballard and Heinroth on your side.
Through a series of parties and other fundraising efforts Ballard and Heinroth raised enough money to send Alex, his wife, two teenage sons and 9-year old daughter to South Padre Island for five days.
Together the Vargas family made memories hanging out at their condo, going on boat rides, and watching the dolphins.
"It felt good watching them have fun," Alex says.
They took tons of photos while in South Padre Island. Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces made all the hard work Ballard and Heinroth had done worth it.
"All the ups and downs of trying to start the organization and fundraising all came together and I knew this was why we are doing it," says Ballard.
Ballard and Heinroth are in the process of raising more funds to help other families. In fact, they are looking for support in their efforts to knock out the Austin 10/20 - a race on April 15th benefitting several charities including Without Regrets.
In addition to raising more money they are also planning a trip for their second family with hopes of helping many others down the line and inspiring all of us to live life today without regret.
Alex's oldest son Manuel Vargas said it best.
"Don't let anything keep you down and always keep your head up. Cherish everything you have and if something is going to make you smile, do it."
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Without Regrets Foundation is a member of I Live Here, I Give Here. You can donate to Without Regrets Foundation directly from our site using the new donation tool below.
