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Someone asked me recently why I go to Dutch Bro's every day. They asked me why I didn't just go to the gas station for cheaper coffee or why I don't go to Starbucks which is probably closer to my house than Dutch is. I couldn't give just a simple answer because Dutch Bro's is way more than just a shop with good coffee. On May 7th, 2017 my daughter was born 6 weeks early and landed up in the NICU for 89 days with an assortment of medical problems. Every morning on my way to the hospital, I would stop by Dutch and they would great me with the biggest smile. They got to know me and they learned my story as well as my daughter’s story. I could pull up and they would automatically make my drink because they knew exactly what I wanted. My world was torn upside down but for the few minutes I was at the window at Dutch, life didn't seem so bad. For a split second I felt like I could breathe and I could smile without falling apart. After my daughter was discharged from the hospital I followed the same routine. Day in and day out I would stop by for coffee. For 6 months, I came every day and every day they got to know me more and more. More of the staff learned my name and soon most of the store knew me, my name, the drink I order, and more. It felt like family.
On November 23rd, 2017, this past Thanksgiving, my 6 month old daughter Ajla passed away in the hospital. My world shattered and my heart broke. No parent should ever go through the pain of losing a child and no child should have to pass away without being able to live life. Shortly after Ajla passed away, most of the people at my Dutch heard what had happened. I hadn’t stopped by in a few days because I couldn’t drag myself out of the house let alone my bed. My husband saw how miserable I was and suggested I should get out of the house and at least go get some coffee so I agreed. I finally mustered up the energy to go and I drove myself a mile down the road hoping that the employees’ good spirits would somehow lift my own. Boy was I right. I showed up and it was semi busy. I sat in line and all I wanted to do was cry. I looked around my car and all I could see was my daughters stuff. Her car seat was there, baby blankets, toys and more. I kept telling myself, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.” I managed to hold it together and I pulled up to the window. They must have seen me pull up in line because they had my drink all ready to go. As I reached for it, one of the staff told me to hold on a second. She went around the corner and came back with an envelope addressed to me. The staff circled the window and handed me the envelope and told me to open it. To my surprise, they had all taken the time to sign this sweet heartfelt card for me. They even included some money and Dutch bros gift cards! I was truly speechless. All I could manage to say was thank you over and over again. I didn’t want to cry in front of them so I was stupid and held back how I felt. As soon as I drove away the water works came. I cried and cried and cried until there were no more tears left. Little did they know, I didn’t quite have enough money to pay for my daughter’s urn and the money they gave me was enough to cover the amount I needed. Little did they know, when my daughter died, I lost my job so I was no longer able to afford coffee. I was no longer able to go to the one place that brought hope and high spirits and they fixed that. A simple gift card allowed me to keep returning to the place that made my problems disappear for just a few moments. Little did they know, no one knew how to approach me about my daughter’s death so no one said anything. That card that everyone signed made me feel like people really did care and that even though it was a hard subject, they found a way to let me know I was on their mind. So now to this day, I go to Dutch Bros every single day and recommend it to every friend I have. Dutch Bros is a company that truly cares about their customers. They take the time to get to know you and do what they can to brighten your day! Thank you to everyone who works and has worked at the Dutch Bros on Wildwood in Boise, ID. You guys are truly the best and I wish I could think of a better way to show you how much I truly appreciate all of you!
To pay forward the good acts that people have done to help me and to honor my daughter, I have started a gofundme to raise money for a Cuddle Cot for the hospital here in Boise. To learn more on what a Cuddle Cot is or to learn more about my daughter’s story, please go to the following link and/or read my previous blog post!
http://www.gofundme.com/ajlascuddlecotfundraiser