A renowned chef in Cary, Illinois has made a friend in one of his customers – a man with multiple sclerosis who is undergoing chemo.
Chef Juan Carlos Beristain is the culinary genius behind the beloved JC’s Cafe. Aside from making warm pastries and coffee, the restaurant is especially known for its delicious vegetable soup. The chef makes the soup fresh every morning, using only seasonal ingredients from the local market such as zucchini, butternut squash, yellow squash, parsnips, organic carrots, and sweet potato.
“As soon as they try that soup, they get in love with it, and it is a delicious soup,” the 49-year-old chef said.
One of the soup’s fans is Noah Dionesotes, a Cary-Grove man who lives just down the road 15 minutes away from the establishment. He could have easily made the trip to JC’s Cafe if he wanted to, but Noah has multiple sclerosis and relies on a wheelchair to get around.
Like most businesses, JC’s Cafe manages a Facebook page. During his first round of chemo, Noah – who is vegan – left a comment on a community page saying how much he loved Juan Carlos’ vegetable soup.
After seeing his post, Juan Carlos learned that Noah couldn’t make it to his restaurant as much as he wants to because of his condition. Right then, the kind chef knew what he had to do.
Juan Carlos offered to deliver the soup to Noah free of charge. Initially, Noah declined because he said that he didn’t feel comfortable receiving help. Then, about a year after and during another round of chemo, he asked his mom to start buying the soup for him.
That’s when the chef realized that it was time that he insisted. He asked where Noah lived, then proceeded to personally deliver the soup at his doorstep. He refused to take any payment for it.
“I really feel when other people are in pain. I felt that I could help him at least by delivering the soup that he likes, with the nutrition that is going to help him,” Juan Carlos said.
As it turns out, the chef didn’t plan for the soup delivery to be just a one-time thing. So he promised to keep bringing him the soup, saying that he wants to see Noah get better.
True enough, for over a year now, he has brought Noah fresh cups of soup several times every week while he’s going through chemo. Juan Carlos says that it was his father, who was “always a giver”, who inspired him to do what he can to help other people.
“This is part of my way to thank him. I couldn’t be any other way,” he said.
These special soup deliveries led the two men to get to know each other more, and over time, it they were able to forge a friendship.
“I think the guy’s a saint … he’s an amazing human,” Noah said of his friend.
JC’s Cafe has been serving customers for three years now, but this summer, the Beristain family plans to return to their hometown in Mexico to care for his ailing father.
However, as if by fate, Noah and Juan Carlos might still be neighbors even then. That’s because the center where Noah will be going for his stem cell therapy is not far from the Beristains’ home.
Watch the video below courtesy of WGN News to learn more about Juan Carlos’ act of kindness.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to collect funding for Noah’s life-saving stem cell treatment. He will be treated at Clinica Ruiz, a center that has done over 2,500 stem cell transplants and specializes in multiple sclerosis.
Noah needs our help!
As of writing, the GoFundMe has raised $5,360, and the family needs a lot more to reach the $55,000 goal. Click HERE to donate to the fundraiser and save Noah’s life!