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Creative Bean owner recovering after life-support scare from COVID-19

In a Facebook video, Tracy Segura says Rene was taken off life support March 24 and has been making great improvements ever since

The Creative Bean may be one of the businesses closed due to the recent health crisis, but it paled in comparison to the local family’s concerns when the owner was hospitalized after contracting coronavirus.

Rene Segura, who is the well-known face at the south-end Barrie coffee shop, was admitted to hospital on Friday, March 20 with a number of COVID-19 symptoms, the worst being shortness of breath and trouble breathing. 

His wife, Tracy Segura, could not go with him as they took him through the emergency doors and instead was forced to wait for news on his condition. Rene was put on life support Saturday to assist in his breathing. 

In a Facebook video from this past Sunday, Tracy Segura said Rene was taken off life support March 24 and has been making great improvements ever since. 

On Tuesday, March 31, another online video showed a happy family heading to the hospital to pick him up after a Facebook post just after 10:30 a.m. said: “He’s coming home!!!!!!”

“We’re so pumped. I can’t wait to hold him, can’t wait to see him,” Tracy said via the Facebook 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 their rent to pay at Creative Bean 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 $7,640 of their $10,000 target. More than $6,000 was raised in one day alone.