The owner of a South Carolina convenience store admitted in a post on social media to ask a man whose face was disfigured by cancer to either cover his face, or leave.
Kirby Evans, 65, stopped at Forks Pit Stop store in Walterboro on Monday, looking to grab donuts and a drink, but was instead confronted with discrimination.
The skin cancer survivor, who was left without a left eye and nose in order to save his life, said he was jerked into the office of Donna Alderman-Crosby and told to either cover his face, or leave because he was scaring away her customers.
‘The words that came out of her mouth hurt me so deeply,’ Evans told KUTV
When his daughter, Brandy Evans, found out that her father left the store crying, she started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the cost of reconstructive surgery, which has otherwise been out of Kirby’s financial reach.
Alderman-Crosby responded that she ‘had no choice’ and his presence ‘war running [her] customers off.’
So far, the fundraiser has received donations amounting to close to $30,000.
Cancer survivor Kirby Evans, 65, who is missing his left eye and his nose, as was told to either cover up or get out when he went to Forks Pit Stop store in Walterboro on Monday; Kirby is seen here at ‘his table’ at Dairy Land
‘How can a person eat anything with his face covered?’ Kirby asked, rhetorically, following the incident, while seated at his regular hangout.
His daughter, Brandy, wrote on Facebook, on Tuesday:
‘My father is a cancer survivor he lost his left eye and nose to this awful cancer. My father was discriminated against because of the way he looks. He cannot help what cancer did to him. My father is the strongest man I know but, as he told me what happened to him, I watched tears roll out of his eye. It hurt me to see him hurt like this, especially over something he cannot help. My father is also on a fixed income and can not afford the surgeries it would take to fix where his nose was. Just so you know, Donna Crosby, my father can not cover his face with an eye patch. It rubs the eye socket raw and where his nose was. It has to stay open and nothing is to touch that area that might rub it raw.’
Community members showed their support for Kirby, like this man seen here at Dairy Land
Kirby Evans cancer survivor’How can a person eat anything with his face covered?’ Kirby asked, rhetorically, following the incident, while seated at his regular hangout
Brandy had strong words for Alderman-Crosby, warning her that cancer, unlike her, doesn’t discriminate.
‘I thank GOD everyone is not as small minded as Donna Crosby! I promise you he will never ever set foot in that store again! You should never judge a book by its cover until u have walked a mile in his shoes, Donna Crosby,’ Brandy wrote.
‘You discriminated against MY farther (Kirby Evans) for the way he looks. Here are some words of advice for you. DROP TO YOUR KNEES AND PRAY YOU NEVER GET CANCER BECAUSE IT DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE AS U DID TO MY FARTHER (KIRBY EVANS)!’
Brandy had strong words for Alderman-Crosby, warning the Forks Pit Stop owner that cancer, unlike her, doesn’t discriminate
Brandy wrote: ‘You discriminated against MY farther (Kirby Evans) for the way he looks. Here are some words of advice for you. DROP TO YOUR KNEES AND PRAY YOU NEVER GET CANCER BECAUSE IT DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE AS U DID TO MY FARTHER (KIRBY EVANS)!’
Kirby couldn’t wrap his mind around the way he was treated, either.
‘She jerked me into her office,’ he said, mimicking the way he said she grabbed his shirt and grunted at him to ‘come in here.’
That’s when the Alderman-Crosby reduced Kirby to tears with her harsh words.
‘When you spend your money at somebody’s place of business, you should be welcome,’ he said, from ‘his table’ at Dairy Land in Walterboro.
‘Just like this man that owns this place here, I’m welcome here,’ he said. ‘This is my table.’
Kirby couldn’t wrap his mind around the way he was treated, either, saying, ‘She jerked me into her office,’ while mimicking the way he said she grabbed his shirt and grunted at him
But while Kirby is shocked at being treated that way by a business owner, he’s used to getting second looks around town, ever since he had surgery seven years ago to remove basal cell carcinoma from his face.
The surgery left him without a nose, and with his left eye completely removed.
On Monday, he was confronted by Alderman-Croby’s horrific reaction to his appearance.
The owner defended her decision to ask Kirby to either cover up or get out, claiming that she addressed Kirby privately rather than in front of other patrons.
But while Kirby is shocked at being treated that way by a business owner, he’s used to getting second looks around town, ever since he had surgery seven years ago to remove basal cell carcinoma from his face
Prior to the surgery, Kirby had both his left eye and his nose, as shown in his license photo
The owner defended her decision to ask Kirby to either cover up or get out, claiming that she addressed Kirby privately rather than in front of other patrons
‘I run a food service business where people dine in,’ she wrote. ‘I do not see absolutely anything wrong with what I did. He would come in at lunchtime and sit at the food booths right at my busy time every day. I have bills to pay to and I work very hard to please my customers.’‘
Alderman-Crosby wrote the response on the post shared by Brandy, detailing the owner’s behavior at the Forks Pit Stop store.
‘We had a good morning visit with Mr. Kirby and his daughter! We bought him breakfast and gave him some spending money and boy was he thankful! He cried tears of happiness! He received so many hugs, wonderful compliments and we let him know he has a HUGE support system,’ Heirs wrote.
Others in the community shared their support, like Lindsey Heirs and her parents, the Wiggins family, who treated Kirby to a meal at Dairy Land
Kirby said he hopes to share his story with make others ‘find it in her heart to treat people with disabilities in a different manner,’ rather than with the disrespect he experienced on Monday
‘We don’t wanna be treated like that,’ Kirby said, speaking of people with disabilities. ‘We’re human beings and we want to be treated the same
She shared a photo of Kirby praying before enjoying the meal they bought him.
‘He is forever grateful for each and everyone one of you for all your kind words and prayers,’ she wrote.
‘Today I put my bangs up and wore my scar proud all for you Mr. Kirby! We all are beautiful in our own special way and don’t you ever think different! You have a beautiful soul inside out.’
Kirby said he hopes to share his story with making others ‘find it in her heart to treat people with disabilities in a different manner,’ rather than with the disrespect he experienced on Monday.
‘We don’t wanna be treated like that,’ Kirby said, speaking of people with disabilities. ‘We’re human beings and we want to be treated the same.
Those interested can contribute to his fund for reconstructive surgery, here.
Kirby is seen here praying before enjoying a meal bought for him at his usual hangou
If you know someone who might like this, please click “Share”!