A cancer survivor says he’s “deeply hurt” after a South Carolina store manager told him to either hide his face or leave the store on Tuesday after he stopped in to get food and a drink.
ABC2 reports that Kirby Evans, 65, stopped by the Forks Pit Stop in Walterboro to get a drink and some donuts on Tuesday, and decided to sit down at one of the booths to eat. Shortly after, the store manager walked over to him and asked him to come to the store office. The words she said next shocked and saddened Evans, who had surgery on his face seven years ago to remove skin cancer.
According to Evans, the store manager pulled him into her office and explained to him that “his face” was scaring away other customers. She warned him to either cover his face up or leave the store.
“Next thing I know, she jerked me into her office,” Evans said. “The words that came out of her mouth hurt me so deep.”
Evans said he’s become accustomed to getting stares after having surgery that disfigured his nose and one of his eyes. However, the experience humiliated him and he admitted the left the store in tears. When his daughter, Brandy, heard about what happened, she decided to share the incident with the public on Facebook.
Hello every one! I wanted to make a quick post about the Forks Pit Stop here in Walterboro, S.C. On 10/8/2018 my…
Posted by Brandy Evans on Tuesday, October 9, 2018
“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 the cancer did to him.”
When store manager, identified as Donna Alderman-Crosby, learned of the social media post, she reportedly defended herself and said she did not see “anything wrong” with what she did, according to a screenshot posted on social media. According to the store manager, she asked Evans “kindly” to come into her office to discuss the matter so that others wouldn’t hear the conversation.
“I run a food service business where people dine in. I do not see absolutely anything wrong with what I did. He would come in at lunch time and sit at the food booths right at my busy time everyday. I have bills to pay to and I work very hard to please my customers.”
Posted by Lindsey Hiers on Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Evans, who said he hasn’t received an apology from the store manager, said he hopes his story helps others realized the hurt that can be caused by cruel words.
“We don’t want to be treated like that. We are human beings.”
Meanwhile, Evans’ daughter set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help with medical expenses. She indicated her father is on a “fixed income” and doesn’t have the means to get additional surgery.
“My father is also on a fixed income and can not afford the surgeries it would to take to fix his 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.”
[Feature Photo: Kirby Evans/Facebook & Screenshot via KUTV ABC2]
