Customers Bought Every Donut In His Shop So He Could Visit His Wife

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Customers Bought Every Donut In His Shop So He Could Visit His Wife

CBS Los Angeles - YouTube

There's nothing quite as strong as the bond between two people who love each other, and no one knows this better than the customers at Donut City in Seal Beach, California.

Nearly 30 years ago, John Chhan and his wife, Stella, opened a small business along the Pacific Coast Highway.

The couple, who came as refugees from Cambodia in the late '70s, have been serving donuts to customers from 4:30 a.m. until the afternoon without fail.

People in the community were quick to take notice of the couple, and love stopping by to not only grab their favorite dessert, but to pay John and Stella a visit.

Last month, customers began to notice that Stella wasn't around, and when they asked where she was, they were devastated by the news.

John, 62, told customers that Stella, 63, suffered a debilitating aneurysm in late September and was forced to stay in rehab to recover.

He admitted that he misses her dearly and is quick to pay his wife a visit right after the shop closes so that he can spend as much time with her as possible.

"She's in a nursing home," he told CNN. " My sister-in-law is here helping me."

That being said, John still has bills to pay and can't spend a lot of time with his wife, until a long-time customer thought of a brilliant idea.

"I went home and I just couldn't get it out of my head," Dawn Caviola, who has been a regular of Donut City for more than a decade, told NBC News. "They are just such hardworking people."

Caviola urged local residents to reach out and lend a helping hand.

John Chhan
John starts baking donuts at 2 a.m. every day. CBS Los Angeles - YouTube

"I have never done anything like that before but I just thought if everyone can just buy a dozen donuts, it might help him out. I didn't think it would become this big," she said.

Now every morning, kindhearted customers walk into Donut City and leave the store with boxes of the delicious dessert until there's none left.

That way, John can sell out quickly and close shop so that he can spend more time with his better half.

He told CBS Los Angeles that the support from the community has not only kept his spirits up, but also his wife's.

"I am very appreciative," John said, overwhelmed by being able to close shop as early as 7 a.m. or 8 a.m.  

Customers offered to help the couple set up a GoFundMe, but John refused, and so they decided to continue buying donuts by the dozen to make a difference.

[H/T: CNN / CBS Los Angeles]

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Moojan has been a writer at Shared for a year. When she's not on the lookout for viral content, she's looking at cute animal photos. Reach her at moojan@shared.com.