Santa Paula bands together for chef David Raigoza's fight with stage 4 cancer
David Raigoza thought the cough that lingered for months might be caused by dust mites.
But it was shadowed by a fever and a pulsing headache that never faded. The Santa Paula chef went to the doctor earlier this year, and while the cough was probably just a cold, tests revealed stage 4 cancer that likely started somewhere in his digestive system and spread to his liver.
He was told his type of cancer is often discovered too late. He was told he might have months to live without treatment, maybe two years with it.
Suddenly, the guy who helps everyone needed help himself.
Raigoza, 53 and born on Valentine’s Day, has been a cook since he was 14, working at restaurants in Simi Valley, Camarillo, Santa Barbara and the Palm Springs area. In 2012, he was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. His body wasn’t producing enough blood cells, meaning he needed frequent transfusions.
"They sent me home, saying I wasn't going to make it," he remembered. But the chef persevered and said his body stayed strong.
He launched his current business, Chef David’s Kitchen & Catering, in February 2020, just off Santa Paula’s Main Street. Then COVID hit.
Raigoza, who grew up in Ventura County, pivoted hard. He packed away the dinner plates and started serving up his burgers, sandwiches and soups take-out style. It worked. The restaurant survived.
"The community really supported me," he said.
The chef gained a reputation for helping out others, sometimes bringing boxes of leftover food for homeless people congregating in a park.
“He’s just a decent, kind person who wants to take care of people,” said Dan Singer, Santa Paula’s city manager who knows Raigoza through events the chef has catered for the city.
On Thanksgiving, Raigoza invited people who had nowhere else go to his restaurant for turkey, ham and fixings —all for free. Teresa Archer, a retired high school teacher, came to the event when her plans for a family gathering out of town were suddenly derailed.
“It was a beautiful thing he did for the community. Everything was served with love,” she said. “He called it a Friendsgiving.”
Now, people are giving back. The cancer diagnosis has spurred a GoFundMe started by Yesenia Avila, a registered nurse who met the chef at his restaurant. She was depressed over her own issues. He offered support and understanding.
"I feel like I got saved," she said. They started seeing each other. She was the one who urged him to see a doctor, convinced the cough and headache represented deeper problems.
Some of Raigoza’s friends and customers have left healing stones outside of the restaurant. A fundraising booth was set up at the monthly Cruise Night car event on Santa Paula's Main Street.
Jose Melgar, CEO of the Palazzio Event Center in Santa Paula, said he is helping put together another fundraiser for the chef.
“We just want to show him that we care for him, and we love him,” Melgar said.
Raigoza still works at the restaurant daily, talking to a reporter at 9 a.m. Wednesday while prepping for that day’s soup and menu items, including a Mediterranean lamb burger with tzatziki sauce.
He’s undergoing chemotherapy in treatment that requires 48-hour stays at the Ventura County Medical Center. He gets tired quicker and sometimes leaves the restaurant early, though takeout orders still come to his cell phone. Diana Rios, who worked on catering jobs, has volunteered to help out at the restaurant along with others.
“We’re just there because we like being at the restaurant,” Rios said, noting Raigoza has helped her in the past. “I wanted to be there when he needed someone.”
The chef is a born-again Christian who hosts an all-men's Bible study once a week at the restaurant. He said his faith helped him in his fight against aplastic anemia and will get him through cancer as well.
“I know I’m going to be OK,” he said. “If not, at least I know where I’m going.”
Some people said the response to Raigoza shows how communities pull together in times of need. Nancy Grass, co-owner of a neighboring business, Nanni and Deeda’s Toys & Sweets, donated part of their proceeds over three days to help the chef.
"People in Santa Paula always help people out,” Grass said. “It’s one of the kindest communities you’ll find.”
Raigoza hunted for words to explain how the support makes him feel.
“It’s almost beyond belief,” he said.
For more information, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/chef-david-raigoza.
Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.
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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Santa Paula chef David Raigoza gets support for cancer fight
