Community rallies around Lisa Bowling, owner of The Soul Spot at Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, after cancer diagnosis

AURORA, Ill. (WLS) — A community is rallying together to help a west suburban restaurant owner diagnosed with cancer.

Many are even volunteering to keep the restaurant afloat.

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Lisa Bowling says just a week after fulfilling her dream of opening The Soul Spot at Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, she found out she had stage four cancer. Now, while she fights for her life, the community is fighting for her.

“It’s been like a dream come true since I put all my heart and soul into the restaurant to get it open,” Bowling said.

Bowling opened Aurora’s only soul food restaurant in August, and then her health took a drastic turn.

“I had to have open heart surgery and then put on the ECMO machine to breathe for me, and all of that stuff. So now, I’m getting ready to do chemo,” Bowling said.

“Any day above ground is a good day,” family friend Vera Giles-Norris said.

Her illness has kept her away from the restaurant for nearly two months, as the community steps in to keep her dream alive.

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Whether it’s volunteering to play music, or clean tables, they’re there.

“We see one of our soldiers fall, to do what we can do to help pick them up. And that’s what I’m seeing play out. Business has not stopped since day one,” Giles-Norris said.

Even the restaurant’s one and only chef, Katrina Reed, has been working morning to night every day of the week.

“We bring the soul food; we bring the soul food. We bring the greens, the yams, the macaroni,” Reed said.

The flavor comes from Bowling’s heart.

“When she was able to give back, she did so much sowing. And so, now in her time of need, it’s her time to reap,” Giles-Norris said.

Bowling said she is out of the hospital, at home.

Her friends and family are hoping to raise close to $50,000 to help pay for her medical expenses, but also keep her business afloat while she recovers.

Visit www.thesoulspots.com for more information.