"Our family has been living a nightmare," begins the Facebook video post from Tracy Segura, before she happily announces her husband, Rene, is recovering from COVID-19 after being on life support.
Rene Segura, who attended Newmarket's Sacred Heart Catholic High School and was a longtime employee at local Cintas before opening The Creative Bean coffee shop in Barrie,was admitted to hospital on Friday, March 20 with COVID-19 symptoms, the worst being shortness of breath.
Tracy, who could not accompany him as they took him through the emergency doors, waited outside for news on his condition. Rene was put on life support Saturday to assist his breathing.
In a Facebook video last Sunday, Tracy said Rene was taken off life support March 24 and has been making great improvements ever since.
Today, March 31, she posted a video showing a happy family heading to the hospital to pick him up: “He’s coming home!!!!!!”
“We’re so pumped. I can’t wait to hold him, can’t wait to see him,” Tracy said on the video. “I just wanted to share this moment with you guys and tell you thank you for all of your love, all of your prayers and all of your support.”
The social-media video was taken in a limo, donated from a local limousine service, and showed the couple’s three children, Cayden, Amaiya and Briyonna. All three kids and Tracy have been tested for the virus with results coming back negative.
A GoFundMe page was set up Monday to assist with the family’s financial situation, as the Creative Bean is closed for now.
The page indicates they still have the shop's rent to pay, as well as their lease payments on equipment. Their mortgage payment has only been deferred once because they don't belong to one of the six federal banks offering a six-month deferral.
At the time of publication, the donations are up to $8,420 of their $10,000 target. More than $6,000 was raised in one day alone.
