Man Leaves Cushy Job to Start Non-Profit for Cancer Patients

I was so happy when 2018 rolled in because it meant a new start, a fresh slate. While 2017 wasn't completely terrible, it did come with some very low lows. My best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and, just after Thanksgiving, another friend lost her battle with pancreatic cancer.

Both of the women in my life who faced life-altering moments due to cancer had something that many don’t- an incredible support system. This isn’t to say that either woman’s fight against cancer was a walk in the park. On the contrary- one friend lost her life and another is going through hellish chemotherapy. But both women expressed to me several times that if it weren’t for their friends and family stepping up and helping, things would have been so much more difficult.

I often find myself marveling at the strength of those with cancer. My dad is now cancer free, but for many years, he went through grueling treatments that just hearing about made me sick to my stomach. Cancer changes the individual fighting it, but I think it often changes those in the background, too.

Take Zach Bolster for instance. Zach was living a pretty cushy life in New York. He worked on Wall Street and made a great living until he left it behind to give people free rides. When Zach’s mom called and told him she’d been diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer, he didn’t hesitate to pack up his life and move to North Carolina to be with her. Zach made sure that his mom never missed a single chemo session and it was during those sessions that he started to get to know some of the other patients who poured their hearts out to him and many of the stories they shared were of hardship.

Zach’s mom lost her life just six weeks after being diagnosed, but instead of moving back to New York, Zach stayed in North Carolina and dipped into his own bank account to fund a ride-sharing business that gives free rides to cancer patients so that they never have to miss a treatment or appointment.

ChemoCars is the name of Zach’s business and he’s even got Uber and Lyft on board to help make sure that cancer patients get rides for free. One of Zach’s regular riders told People Magazine, "It’s such a beautiful thing when you lose someone close to you to then reach out and help someone else in her honor. He’s just a godsend."

[via People]