It was packed at the Smithfield A&W. From the moment they opened the doors Saturday morning until they closed at 10 p.m. the line never stopped. “It was the craziest day I’ve ever seen,” said owner Alex Davies. “We had every crew member and even my parents in to help. We did four days worth of business all rolled into one.” Of course, it was for a good cause. All profits were being donated to help Lee and Maylynn Crosby’s son — Dietrich.

Ten-year-old Dietrich Crosby suffers from a rare terminal illness called Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation or NBIA. “It’s a very rare illness,” said Dietrich’s mom, Maylynn Crosby. “There are only about 300 in the world that have it.”

“[Dietrich] is doing okay,” added Crosby. “He’s sedated pretty much all the time and heavily medicated. He suffers from muscle spams — like having a charley horse through your whole body times about a hundred. His heart rate gets into the two or three hundreds. [Children with this disease] can suffer strokes. The muscle spams break their backs and their bones. It’s a very painful disease.”

“We’ve got it somewhat under control,” she said. “He does wake up occasionally. He’ll smile at us. So cognitively he’s still all there. He’s just the sweetest little boy you have ever seen. He’s just got that smile, that angelic smile.”

It’s for that smile that people drove through rain and snow to Smithfield from all over the valley. The line was from the door to the register and never once lessened during the day. “I was worried with the weather that people wouldn’t show up,” said Amanda Hester, Dietrich’s aunt and Maylynn’s sister. Her fear was unfounded.

Hester works at A&W and stood at the register for hours taking orders and visiting with everyone coming through the door. To her side was a large, glass jar with Dietrich’s picture on it and donations dropped inside.

With so many people to serve and only four fryers there was a long wait for food. Everyone was very patient and kind. There were helium balloons for children to play with. And lots of people visiting with each other. Every table and booth was filled. Yet no one was angry and when the food came, it was great. “All day, everybody was really good and really patient,” said Hester.

Davies reported that a normal Saturday would have 180 to 250 orders. This Saturday there were 420 orders. All told the Smithfield A&W donated $2033 — all their profit — to the Crosby’s. And another $719 was dropped into the jar.

“It’s great! It’s wonderful!” said Donna Crosby, Deitrich’s grandma. “People are so generous in this valley.”

“Thank you to Alex and everyone at the Smithfield A&W,” said Hester. “We also want to thank Cougar Fire, Prax air for donating the helium tank, and — of course — everyone in the valley. They definitely did their part showing up.”

For Maylynn Crosby, all she could say was “thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Donations

If you wish to help the Dietrich Crosby, donations are still being accepted through Zions Bank. Go to any branch and tell them you wish to make a donation in the name of Dietrich Crosby and they will know what to do. Or you may send your checks to:

Dietrich Crosby
145 S Main Apt 8
Smithfield, UT 84335

If you have any questions, please call Amanda Hester at 435-881-4009