Chef, wife, son battling cancer while running cafe
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WJXT /CNN) — A Florida family is looking for more than just gifts this Christmas.
They are hoping for a miracle.
All three members found out they are fighting cancer.
Chef Benoit Desclefs, his wife, Kathy, and their 17-year-old son, Luke, share a love of food and family.
Their happy place is in the kitchen at the family’s French-American restaurant, the Magnificat Café.
Five years ago, Kathy was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
In August, Benoit was diagnosed with a inoperable brain tumor.
In October, Luke said, “I found a lump on my neck and I thought it was weird and I told my mom.”
Luke, a high school senior, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Kathy said, “With Benoit, they’ve said roughly 12 years. With Luke, he has a very good prognosis if he responds to treatment, and we’ll know how well he responds next week when they do a PET (positron emission tomography) scan. And, for me, um, it’s hard to say because the variant I have is so rare they don’t have a lot of data on that.”
For a family facing such a tough time, no one would know it.
Kathy said, “We are set up for God to show up because its so over the top.”
Even with all three battling cancer, they continue to keep the family business cooking.
Kathy said, “We’re known for our quiche and we’re known for our soup.”
All they’re asking for are prayers and customers’ patronage.
The Desclefses have had to hire extra help because of their failing health. The family has also decided to put their business up for sale.