JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Cancer is a word that scares everyone, and when it strikes one, it affects everyone around them. And no one has been untouched by it in some way.
But for one Jacksonville family, three members are fighting the disease at the same time.
Three of the four Desclefs all have different types of cancer, according to a report from WJXT.
Restauranteurs, the family has owned and operated the popular French-American The Magnificat Cafe in Jacksonville for 16 years. But keeping it going is getting increasingly difficult.
Parents Kathy and Benoit Desclefs were stricken first. Kathy came down with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma five years ago and Benoit found out he had an inoperable brain tumor in August 2019. Their 17-year-old son Luke was diagnosed most recently in October with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“It was too much, especially when it came back down to Luke. It was just too much,” Kathy Desclefs told WJAX about her son who is a senior in high school. He never had any symptoms, just noticed a lump on his neck and brought it to her attention.
Luke Desclefs, a senior in high school, says he didn’t have any symptoms prior to his diagnosis.
In order to keep their business open they’ve been forced to put hire extra employees and put it up for sale, WJXT reported.
The family leans on faith, but they need help. Crowdfunding sites have become a saving grace for many who are dealing with sickness or hardship and they’ve started a fundraiser at Supportful.com, which you can access here.
Kathy, Benoit and 17-year old son Luke are all battling cancer right now. They each have a different type and both Kathy’s and Benoit’s are rare and non-curable. Benoit was diagnosed with brain cancer over the summer just finished radiation treatments and starts chemo in December for one year. Luke, who is a senior in high school, was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in October and is doing chemo treatments. His most recent treatment as of yesterday left him to ICU due to fever and low blood pressure.
One family member having cancer is very stressful, two is crazy hard and three is unimaginable. As small business owners, both Kathy and Benoit work at the business. However, Benoit is not able to, but Kathy has had to go back to work so that they can manage their expenses a little bit. They are having to pay another worker to help out. And they are down to one working vehicle.
Please as you consider ‘adopting a family’ for the holidays, please help this amazing family during this crisis. They are warm, generous, and joyful people. But they are faced with a challenge they can’t do alone. Any amount, no matter how small is so appreciated.
So you can guess that finances are a very real struggle.
Thank you! Supportful.com/desclefs
The family has already raised nearly $30,000 of their $157,269 goal, which will go to a multitude of expenses that are specifically and transparently shown on the Supportful.com/desclefsfamily page. Expenses include cellphone bills, an ambulance bill, their mortgage and health/life insurance and other necessities.
