VUELA Foundation: Giving Wings to Hope
At VUELA Foundation, creativity, science, and love come together to ensure no child loses the magic of life because of cancer. From transport and medicine to games and fox-shaped friends called VULPI, they’re changing the story of childhood cancer in Mexico—one child at a time.
Meet their founder Diego Parada and discover how a group of friends turned compassion into action.
Tell us about how VUELA Foundation began. What inspired you to create an organisation dedicated to supporting children with cancer?
VUELA was born from a group of friends who wanted social commitment to be part of our lives from the start of our professional careers not something we’d get around to later in life, as is often the case. So, we started a foundation while we were still very young, without really knowing much about cancer or having any personal connection to it.
What is VUELA’s core mission, and how has it evolved since its inception?
Our mission is to use creativity, generosity, science and love to ensure that no child loses the magic of life because of cancer. We began as an entirely volunteer-led organisation, focusing on fun activities for children and their families. But as we learned more about the disease and the real-life challenges children in Mexico face, we realised we couldn’t just stand by. So we expanded our efforts to include support with access to medicine, transport, medical tests and much more.
We understand VUELA runs several programmes to support children and their families during treatment. Could you tell us about some of them and their impact?
We run nine programmes across three main pillars: optimal treatment, quality of life, and holistic development. At the moment, we’re supporting over 300 children in active treatment and more than 200 in follow-up care, across three hospitals in Mexico. We’re proud to say that thanks to these programmes, none of these children have had to go without, which directly improves their chances of survival. We also work to create a sense of normality for them through play areas, colourful décor and original characters that support them throughout their journey. And we’re constantly increasing our support for families so they can be the best possible team for their child.
Childhood cancer treatment abandonment in Mexico is worryingly high. What strategies has VUELA put in place to reduce this rate and ensure more children complete their treatment?
Roughly 20% of children with cancer in Mexico abandon treatment at some point. We’ve identified three main reasons for this:
Poverty – It’s extremely difficult for families with limited means to stay on track with treatment. Some are forced to choose between buying food and travelling to the hospital. That’s why we cover transport, meals, and other expenses that might prevent them from continuing care.
Lack of education – Understanding cancer is hard, especially when families have limited education. Many of the families we support come from Indigenous communities and may not speak Spanish. We make a special effort to include them and provide ongoing guidance so they can fully understand their child’s diagnosis and the importance of staying committed to treatment.
A complex healthcare system – Navigating Mexico’s health system is a challenge in itself. Although there’s still much to improve, we provide training for hospital staff so they can help families find their way more easily.
Community support and partnerships are essential for any foundation’s success. How has VUELA built collaborations, and what role has the community played in its growth?
To address social issues effectively, we need to shift from a purely organisational mindset to one focused on the wider cause. That means seeing other organisations not as competitors but as allies. From day one, we’ve been open to collaboration, always aiming to help all children with cancer not just those we directly support. CCI is a great example of how global cooperation can create lasting impact.
From your experience, what are the biggest challenges families of children with cancer face in Mexico, and how does VUELA help address them?
One of the biggest current challenges is the overhaul of the public healthcare system, which has led to severe shortages of medication, especially chemotherapy. This threatens the continuity and quality of treatment protocols. In response, we’ve been stepping in to provide any medications that aren’t available at the time, to make sure no child’s recovery is put at risk. It’s not about charity it’s about rights. A country that looks after its children has its priorities straight and secures its own future. That’s a responsibility for all of us, not just the government.
Technology and innovation play a key role in many nonprofits. How has VUELA integrated these into its programmes and operations? Could you elaborate on your work with the VULPI?
To us, innovation means solving problems from new perspectives and thinking outside the box. We realised there was a huge need for psychoeducation and psycho-oncology support for children and their families. While there were some brochures and booklets available, they often felt like school materials—boring and uninspiring for children.
So we set out to create a universe of characters and stories that would be just as engaging as what children already watch on TV or online. That’s how the VULPI were born—magical foxes who meet children with cancer in hospital and stay by their side through the ups and downs.
From those stories, we developed a range of content in multiple formats—picture books, board games, activity books, websites, social media and even YouTube channels—so no child or teenager is left behind. Whether they can’t read yet or don’t have internet access, there’s always a way for them to connect with the VULPI. We recently translated our YouTube content into English too, thanks to conversations with CCI members from other parts of the world.
As a leader and communicator, what lessons have you learnt from running VUELA that might inspire other social entrepreneurs?
The first thing I’ve learnt is that social entrepreneurship is much harder than launching a private business. In the private sector, people get a return on their investment. In the social sector, the only thing we offer is the satisfaction of doing good—impacting someone else’s life without necessarily receiving anything in return. That should be enough—perhaps even more than enough—but sadly it’s not the case for most people. That’s why it’s important not to lose heart. Every small victory means the world in our line of work, and it plants the seeds for a better world.
What future projects or initiatives does VUELA have in the pipeline to continue supporting children with cancer and their families?
We’re working to expand nationwide. Mexico is an enormous country—nearly five times the size of Spain and almost six times larger than Germany. With a population of over 130 million people, we currently have around 15,000 children with active cancer diagnoses, most of whom don’t have access to social security. We want to reach all of them.
Finally, how can people get involved or support VUELA’s mission to ensure no child loses the magic of life because of cancer?
We invite everyone to visit our website, www.vuela.org, which is available in both Spanish and English. There you’ll find helpful resources and ways to support us. If you’d like, you can also contribute to the improvement of an intensive care unit for children with cancer—this project is currently live on Giving2Children, CCI’s new crowdfunding platform.
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SPANISH Version
Cuéntanos sobre el origen de VUELA Fundación. ¿Qué te inspiró a crear una organización dedicada a apoyar a niños con cáncer?
VUELA nació de un grupo de amigos que queríamos que el compromiso social fuera parte de nuestra vida desde el inicio de nuestra carrera profesional, y no algo que se deja para el final, como muchas veces se acostumbra. Comenzamos la fundación muy jóvenes, sin conocer a fondo el cáncer o tener una experiencia cercana, pero con la convicción de hacer algo significativo.
¿Cuál es la misión principal de VUELA y cómo ha evolucionado desde su fundación?
Nuestra misión es usar la creatividad, la generosidad, la ciencia y el amor para que ningún niño pierda la magia de su vida por el cáncer. Empezamos como una organización voluntaria con actividades lúdicas para pacientes y familias, pero al comprender mejor las necesidades reales de los niños en México, fuimos ampliando nuestro trabajo para cubrir medicamentos, transporte, estudios y mucho más.
Sabemos que VUELA implementa diversos programas para apoyar a los niños y sus familias durante el tratamiento. ¿Podrías describir algunos de estos programas y su impacto?
Contamos con 9 programas que se dividen en tres ejes: tratamiento óptimo, calidad de vida y desarrollo integral. Acompañamos actualmente a más de 300 pacientes en tratamiento activo y más de 200 en vigilancia en tres hospitales de México. Además de cubrir sus necesidades médicas, transformamos sus entornos con juegos, decoración, y personajes originales que les brindan alegría. También apoyamos intensamente a sus familias para que sean su mejor equipo.
La tasa de abandono del tratamiento oncológico infantil en México es alarmante. ¿Qué estrategias implementa VUELA para reducir este índice?
Detectamos tres causas principales del abandono:
Pobreza: muchas familias no pueden costear transporte o comida, por eso cubrimos estos gastos.
Falta de educación o barreras lingüísticas: apoyamos con acompañamiento personalizado, especialmente a familias de comunidades indígenas.
Dificultades para navegar el sistema de salud: capacitamos a nuestros aliados en hospitales para guiar mejor a las familias.
La comunidad y las alianzas son fundamentales. ¿Cómo ha trabajado VUELA en este aspecto?
Creemos que hay que cambiar la mentalidad organizacional por una de causa colectiva. Desde el inicio, hemos colaborado con otras organizaciones porque queremos impactar a todos los niños con cáncer, no solo a los que atendemos directamente. CCI es un gran ejemplo del poder de la colaboración global.
En tu experiencia, ¿cuáles son los mayores desafíos que enfrentan las familias y cómo los aborda VUELA?
El mayor reto hoy es la transformación del sistema de salud pública, que ha provocado una fuerte escasez de medicamentos. Para nosotros, no se trata de caridad sino de derechos. Hemos cubierto los medicamentos faltantes para nuestros pacientes porque un país que cuida de sus niños tiene sus prioridades en orden. Y eso es tarea de todos.
¿Cómo incorpora VUELA la tecnología y la innovación en sus programas? Cuéntanos sobre VULPI.
Innovar es resolver problemas desde otro ángulo. Creamos los VULPI, unos zorros mágicos que acompañan a niños con cáncer a través de cuentos, juegos de mesa, libros de actividades, plataformas web, redes sociales y YouTube. Así, eliminamos barreras de acceso a la psicoeducación. Incluso, recientemente traducimos nuestros contenidos al inglés gracias a las conversaciones con miembros de CCI en otros países.
Como líder y comunicador, ¿qué lecciones has aprendido que puedan inspirar a otros emprendedores sociales?
Emprender en el sector social es más difícil que en el privado. Aquí, no se ofrece un beneficio económico, sino el impacto positivo en la vida de otros. A pesar de eso, cada pequeño logro tiene un valor inmenso. No hay que desanimarse: estamos sembrando las semillas de un mundo mejor.
¿Qué proyectos futuros tiene VUELA para seguir apoyando a los niños con cáncer?
Queremos tener presencia en todo el país. México es inmenso y tiene más de 15,000 casos activos de cáncer infantil, la mayoría sin seguridad social. Estamos trabajando para que ningún niño quede sin apoyo sin importar en qué parte del país viva.
Finalmente, ¿cómo pueden las personas unirse o apoyar la misión de VUELA?
Pueden visitar nuestra página www.vuela.org (disponible en español e inglés) donde encontrarán recursos y formas de ayudar. Además, estamos levantando fondos para mejorar un área de cuidados intensivos para pacientes pediátricos con cáncer, a través de Giving2Children, la nueva plataforma de crowdfunding de CCI. ¡Cada apoyo cuenta!