ALLEN PARK, Mich. – An Allen Park bakery owner who survived a stage 3 metastatic melanoma diagnosis has turned her recovery into a mission — and her shop into a source of hope for others facing the same fight.
Raleigh Minning, owner of Made with Love Donuts, endured 30 rounds of radiation, 18 rounds of chemotherapy and a full lymph node dissection before there was no sign of the disease. Rather than stepping away from the experience, she channeled it into building something bigger.
“The first thing I prayed was God if this is your will then I am ready but if not use me and I feel like he’s done that with this business,” Minning said.
From diagnosis to donation
All proceeds from Made with Love Donuts go directly to local cancer patients and cancer research. The shop has donated more than $100,000 — without soliciting a single outside donation.
“From just our work, that’s it. We haven’t asked for donations,” Minning said.
That milestone is not lost on Minning, who remembers the uncertainty of her diagnosis just a few years ago.
“Going from scared cancer to now this. I mean five years ago I didn’t know what my outcome was going to be and now we’re able to help others the way they helped me,” she said.
More than donuts
Made with Love Donuts is completely gluten-free and has operated in Michigan for three years, starting in Wyandotte before relocating to Allen Park. The shop offers an array of items, from gluten-free donuts to cookies — and the menu has grown well beyond traditional bakery fare.
“Then I quickly realized there were a lot of pastries but not a lot of grab-and-go meals, so that’s when we shifted to making copy cat Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches, lasagnas, pierogis,” Minning said.
The shop’s reach has extended beyond its storefront as well. Minning’s gluten-free buns are now sold at concession stands inside Comerica Park.
As the business grows, Minning hopes the donations keep pace — and that her story helps bring wider attention to metastatic melanoma.
Visit Made with Love Donuts
Made with Love Donuts is located at 9837 Reeck Road, Allen Park, MI 48101.
Hours:
- Thursday: 3-9 p.m.
- Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information, visit madewithlovedonuts.com