Strangers donate thousands of dollars to help Madera County street vendor left injured by car

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- 47-year-old Guillermo Lozano is sitting at his usual spot at a busy intersection in Madera County Friday.

With flowers and decor on display along Road 23 and Avenue 14, he's hoping to make a sale as he waves to potential customers driving by.

Guillermo hasn't been selling flowers long - just around three weeks.

But he says it's all he can do to get by after a car ran over his leg and it had to be amputated.

"I don't make enough to live. It barely pays for clothes," he says.

But one sweet customer is giving back by encouraging others to pay it forward in a fundraiser aimed to buy Guillermo a new prosthetic leg.

Fabiola Ochoa and her sister Jessica run Simply Sweet Sisters, a home bakery business.

Ochoa heard about Guillermo, and decided to swing by and pay him a visit a week ago.

She's not sure if it was a higher power, or the similarities to her own family that later caused her to return.

"He's from Mexico, my parents are two Mexican parents, they came 30 years ago," she says.

She soon started to fundraise online.

They sweetened up the pot by offering discounts on baked goods to those who donated.

In just days, they've raised nearly $9,000 while many others stopped by in person to give what they can.

Ochoa says while it feels good to help, Guillermo's gratitude is the icing on the cake.

"I don't know this man personally, but through the mask, his cheeks light up. He looks happy again," she says.

Adds Guillermo: "I feel really happy they're helping me."

Ochoa says donations are pouring in as the community is rising to the occasion and helping them reach their $16,000 goal.

If you would like to donate, you can visit the GoFundMe page.