Patrons of California store buy donuts of the dozen to give owner time with wife

Ever since patrons and community members found out in mid October that Stella Chhan was ill, they have arrived at Donut City in Seal Beach, south of Los Angeles, to buy donuts of the dozen. The purpose is to let John Chhan close his Southern California store early every day so he can spend time with Stella, his wife.

Dawn Caviola, 58, has been common in Donut City for the last 1[ads1]3 years – visits twice a month with her daughter. However, during her last visit, she found out that John Chhan, 62, maintained the store alone because Stella Chhan, 63, had an aneurysm in late September and went to a rehabilitation center.

"I went home and I could not get it out of my head," told Caviola NBC News on Saturday. "They are just such hard-working people."

Caviola decided to write a blog post on the private community network Nextdoor, to encourage local residents to help.

"I've never done anything like that before, but I just thought if everyone can only buy a dozen donuts, can it help him out. I did not think it would be so big," she said.

The blog post said that if they managed to buy their inventory for the day, can go early to spend time with their wife.

The position immediately became viral on social media and Facebook – partly because the dun shop is considered an institution in the area.

The last 28 Over the years, the couple and their baker have arrived at the shop at 2 NP every day to bake donuts. They then open for the community at 4:30 pm, seven days a week. It is a routine they have more or less retained since the opening of the store in 1990, a decade after the husband and wife immigrated from Cambodia.

Marc Loopesko, living in Seal Beach for 22 years, has visited the store for almost two decades. He was one of the hundreds of locals who saw the post and decided to to trade.

" [Donut City] has always been a local and practical place for when I had a donut, "he said.

Walking shoes decided that in addition to buying donuts, the community could offer the idea of ​​starting a GoFundMe page for Chhans, but the shopkeeper rejected politely and said he would rather have extra time with his wife.

Caviola said she wanted to help him. "People can only do a simple thing for their neighbors," she said. "There are people who do not even eat sugar who buy donuts from Mr. Chhan and give them to strangers."

On Saturday morning, John Chhan prepared to close his shop at 8:30. "We already sold everything," he told NBC News. "I feel very warm and very happy. Thank you to all."

Chhan also said that his wife was well and he hopes to get her back to the store soon.

"She is much better" he said. "She can talk now and she learns to eat again."