ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A month ago, a local food truck owner received a life-changing diagnosis, causing her to shut down her beloved business for the foreseeable future. On Sunday, the small business community came together to show their unwavering support for her in a big way.
About a month ago, Michelle Gutiérrez, the owner of Wow Wow Lemonade, received a rare cancer diagnosis, forcing her to close her business for the time being. “I wasn’t feeling good, and I thought maybe I just had a little shock to find out that there is a large mass in my abdomen, it is a tumor, and it is cancerous,” explained Gutiérrez.
With no family history of cancer, Gutiérrez says this news came as a big shock. “I’ve had to pause working on the bus or running the bus because this is my full-time job,” she emphasized. “It’s very scary that I can’t continue to make a living, and also, bills are coming in faster than we can count them.”
To help take some of the weight off her shoulders, all of the businesses that just so happened to open up alongside Wow Wow Lemonade eight years ago came together, donating a portion of their sales to Gutiérrez’s medical bills.
“Our first thought without a doubt was, ‘We need to give in whatever shape or form that we can ourselves.’ My wife has the idea that obviously, there’s power in numbers. If we can get more people together to give more, we can make more of an impact to help them with what they’re going through,” said Owner of Suenos Coffee, Alvaro Hernandez.
“Cancer takes a financial toll on anybody, anybody’s family. So what we’re trying to do is help her family with that financial toll,” emphasized Owner of Mighty Mike’s BBQ Michael Mondragon.
With a growing list of medical bills, Michelle and her family were moved by this display of community support and love. And despite how difficult the journey to recovery will be, she says she’s forever grateful for all of the people who have shown up for her. “It’s overwhelming, and I feel so blessed and so, so, so, so grateful for every single person that has come out,” Gutiérrez said.
Rest assured, Gutierrez says this isn’t a permanent aloha. “We’ll be back, we’ll be back, we’ll continue to spread aloha however we can…I am going to fight this as hard as I can, and by the grace of God, we will all get through this. And I’ll be a survivor,” she says.
In addition to sales, each booth will donate the funds collected in its tip jars, and the family has also started a GoFundMe page.
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