Smith family looking forward to support at Barten breakfast
Maddy Smith (left) and her family will be the benefactors of the annual Barten Memorial Breakfast Sunday, March 19, at the KC Hall, 411 Fourth Ave. SW, in New Prague. The family includes her parents, Gretchen and Kevin (Mike) Smith, and her siblings Bella, Olivia and Noah. (Photo courtesy of the Smith family)
There have been times the past 18 months when Maddy Smith’s medical condition has left the New Prague 16-year-old and her family feeling isolated from the community and their friends. Sunday, March 19, they will feel anything but alone.
That’s the hope of Fran Barten, her family, their friends and a small army of volunteers who put on the annual Barten Memorial Breakfast at the Knights of Columbus Hall in New Prague. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., breakfast will be served. A free-will offering is requested to help support Smith and her family. In years past, hundreds of people have attended the gathering, Barten said. The breakfast is held in the tradition the late Roman Barten had for community service.
“We really don’t know what to expect,” said Gretchen Smith, Maddy’s mom.
A few months ago, a member of the Barten family offered assistance via the breakfast. The offer was humbling for the Smith family.
“There are other people who might need help,” Maddy said.
Maddy Smith suffers from an autonomic nervous system dysfunction, a condition including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The condition limits her...
To see more on this story pick up the March 16, 2023 print edition of The New Prague Times.
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