Aged 11, Jose Humberto Romano Jimenez lost his mother in the Guadalajara gas explosions of April 22, 1992. A year later, he was crowned by British tabloids as the “adopted son” of the Prince of Wales.
Now 31, Romano has turned his life into a success story and is ready to give other needy children the helping hand they require to do the same.
This previously introverted boy was transformed irrevocably on that fateful day 20 years ago, when thousands of gallons of gasoline seeped into 13 kilometers of sewer line in Guadalajara’s Reforma district. The combustible mix eventually exploded, killing more than 200 unsuspecting people.
The roof of Romero’s home began to collapse on top of him, but he was mercifully rescued by firemen, along with his grandmother.
His mother, Guadalupe Jimenez Ramirez, had gone to the bank minutes before the first blast. It wasn’t until following day that Romano was informed that she had died in the explosions.
“It completely changed my life,” Romano says. “I had to take care of my grandmother, who was 79 years old, when I was only 11.” Left homeless by the disaster, the pair entered a raffle and won one of ten apartments donated to victims by the British government.
Unfazed by seeing the heir to the throne up close, the young boy tugged on the prince’s sleeve and asked him for help. “I told him that I wanted to study English and he said to me, ‘everything is possible,’” recalls Romano. “Two months later I got an official response.”
The British Council gave Romano a three-year scholarship to study English at the now-defunct Anglo-Mexican Cultural Institute.
Romano excelled in education. He now has two master’s degrees in education and human development, and is currently studying a doctorate in social sciences. He also teaches communication at the private UNIVA university, as well as working as a director at the Universidad Enrique Diaz de Leon.
Ever thankful for the opportunity presented to him, Romano has stayed in regular contact with his royal benefactor. In 1997 he sent a letter offering his condolences to Charles, following the death of his wife, Princess Diana.
At the age of 22 he was reunited with the prince, joining Charles at a reception in the British Embassy during a visit to Mexico City in 2002. Romano has since traveled to the United Kingdom as a tourist and says he still harbors the ambition of one day studying and even working in London.
In 2010, Romano decided it was time “to give something back.” The idea came to him to provide local kids with the same social assistance that made such a difference in his personal development.
At 11.11 a.m. on November 11, 2011, Romano formally launched his new foundation, Humberto Romano Somos Once. The foundation supports 11 orphans aged 11, whose academic performance is high.
Through Somos Once, they reap the same benefits Romano received from the Chamber of Commerce: money to buy school supplies, uniforms and shoes so they can continue their academic development; plus additional coaching and nutritional aid.
“At the moment it all comes out of my salary,” says Romano, who currently works on his own. But other people are interested in getting involved, he adds. “Maybe in 2013, he will help another 11 children.”
On the 20th anniversary of the explosions last Sunday, Romano says he went to a private Mass and decided to “spend the day by myself, reflect and remember my mother’s last words. A few days before she died, she told me ‘Humberto, your effort will become your success’ and these words have become a personal philosophy for me.”
Positive as always, Romano believes the tragedy helped him to grow as a person. “It made me feel that I had a second opportunity in life, to really be myself.” His mother would undoubtedly be proud that her son is now extending that opportunity to other children in need.
To contact Romano, search Romano Humberto on Facebook or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..