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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.\u00a0(KRQE) \u2013 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. <\/p>\n
About a month ago, Michelle Guti\u00e9rrez, the owner of Wow Wow Lemonade, received a rare cancer diagnosis, forcing her to close her business for the time being. \u201cI wasn\u2019t 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,\u201d explained Guti\u00e9rrez. <\/p>\n
With no family history of cancer, Guti\u00e9rrez says this news came as a big shock. \u201cI\u2019ve had to pause working on the bus or running the bus because this is my full-time job,\u201d she emphasized. \u201cIt\u2019s very scary that I can\u2019t continue to make a living, and also, bills are coming in faster than we can count them.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 Guti\u00e9rrez\u2019s medical bills.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur first thought without a doubt was, \u2018We need to give in whatever shape or form that we can ourselves.\u2019 My wife has the idea that obviously, there\u2019s 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\u2019re going through,\u201d said Owner of Suenos Coffee, Alvaro Hernandez.<\/p>\n
\u201cCancer takes a financial toll on anybody, anybody\u2019s family. So what we\u2019re trying to do is help her family with that financial toll,\u201d emphasized Owner of Mighty Mike\u2019s BBQ Michael Mondragon.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s forever grateful for all of the people who have shown up for her. \u201cIt\u2019s overwhelming, and I feel so blessed and so, so, so, so grateful for every single person that has come out,\u201d Guti\u00e9rrez said.<\/p>\n
Rest assured, Gutierrez says this isn\u2019t a permanent aloha. \u201cWe\u2019ll be back, we\u2019ll be back, we\u2019ll continue to spread aloha however we can\u2026I am going to fight this as hard as I can, and by the grace of God, we will all get through this. And I\u2019ll be a survivor,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
In addition to sales, each booth will donate the funds collected in its tip jars, and the family has also started a GoFundMe page.<\/p>\n
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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 – Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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