BROAD RIPPLE — Nothing seems more unfair in life than having a baker who can't eat. Especially for a baker with a healthy lifestyle, but Rene’s Bakery owner, Albert 'Rene' Trevino, is dealing with just that.
"He's the guy who does all of the croissants,” said Olivia Trevino, Rene’s daughter. She said "This came as a really big shock. He boxes three times a week, he rolls croissants ten hours a day, eats healthy, does everything right."
It all stated last Fall when 'Rene' got sick and felt like he had something in his throat. It grew into difficulty breathing. Because he's a small business owner, he supplies his own medical coverage, and it took months to get a doctor's appointment. Minute Clinic professionals said they found nothing. Then a doctor brought in a scope.
Doctors found a cancerous tumor in his throat. He went into surgery last month. Rene is fighting stage four laryngeal cancer. Three surgeries, and twenty-six days in the hospital later, he's home.
"They said probably about two years he'd been living with this (the cancerous tumor), and he had no idea," said Olivia.
Right now, Rene must write all his responses down. His daughter Olivia Trevino is speaking for him. Olivia said, "(Rene) He says that I appreciate all my friends, customers, and strangers that have helped. It's a wonderful feeling."
Right now, Rene can’t eat solid foods, and must use a feeding tube. Olivia said "They went back in and reconstructed by using his chest muscle to reconstruct, they brought it up to reconstruct his neck because without taking the chest muscle he'd have to do tube feedings for the rest of his life. And he wants to be able to eat."
Olivia was in her 'finals' week at IU-Bloomington when her dad was diagnosed and went into surgery quickly. She said she felt helpless in some ways and so Olivia took action, by making a go-fund me account.
"First, I made sure it was ok with him because I didn't really feel like he would want me to reach out to the community because he's always done everything on his own. He's built everything himself,” said Olivia.
Now, his friends in Broad Ripple are making sure Rene is not in this cancer fight alone.
"And I started with a goal of ten-thousand dollars, and we hit that in six hours which is absolutely there weren't words. I thought ten-thousand dollars was outrageous,” said Olivia.
So, they raised the goal to fifty-thousand.
She said, "The day he got released from the hospital, June 30th was the day we hit our 50-thousand-dollar goal. Which it's like I have tingles and it makes me emotional because for me he's always been this hero and shining light and just to see all the work he's put into the community give back to him and so overwhelming like you can't say thank you enough and I feel like words can't even describe."
It's neighbors helping one of their kindest neighbors who’s known for spreading sweets and goodness, in Broad Ripple.
