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Stillwater Restaurant Steps Up To Help Family Afflicted By Cancer

STILLWATER, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Stillwater restaurant is rallying around one of their own.

When the owner of Joseph's learned his kitchen manager was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer he knew they had to do something.

Roberto Acevez and his wife Kristine both work at Joseph's. The restaurant held a fundraiser for the family, and now they're doing more.

"They're good people. When you find out good people have been dealt a problem you try to help them," owner Joe Kohler said.

Kohler and staff stepped in to support the family after learning doctors diagnosed Roberto with stage 4 colon rectal and liver cancer. Both work two jobs to make ends meet.

"We just have to do it, pay all the bills and a lot of stuff," Roberto Acevez said.

Roberto takes chemotherapy medication daily and is finishing week two of five of daily radiation.

"Work," Roberto Acevez said. "Radiation and work."

He's been told soon he may feel more tired, nauseous and unlike himself.

"If I can't do it anymore then I got to stop, but if I feel better, I feel good, I got to keep working," Roberto Acevez said.

On top of his diagnosis, Kristine and the kids have a genetic disease which causes benign tumors to grow -- a diagnosis that needs to be monitored and treated. The family admits the support has been overwhelming.

"Growing up, for us, it's always been we work for what we want or what we need and for to tell people, 'Yes, we'll take your help,' or, 'Yes, we'll take your food,' is really hard for us," Kristine Acevez said.

Joseph's wants to help make life more manageable for a couple who have collectively worked for the restaurant for three decades.

"We really want to take care of him, we want him to come out of this. So it hits you right in the heart," Kohler said.

The fundraiser at the restaurant was a success, but Kohler knows the family will need more support as Roberto goes through treatment and has another surgery. So he started this GoFundMe account.

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