Crowds come to support Byrne

By Adam Koob (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Sunday, May 25, 2008

NATCHEZ — A drive past the Market Place Café on Saturday night would have looked like a party to the average tourist.

But when Anna Byrne looked over the crowd she saw a lot more than just boiled crawfish and barbecue.

Last Saturday, Anna’s husband Mike, the café’s owner, suffered a stroke while on a fishing trip, then an aortic aneurysm after while being admitted to St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria.

Saturday’s festivities and cookout were put together as a fundraiser to help offset Byrne’s medical expenses and to help his family while he’s out of work.

“I see a lot of love when I look out here,” Anna said. “I see a very kind community.”

And a quick look around the café and its surrounding grounds illuminated the love Anna saw.

Anyone who visits the café regularly would know it has rarely been as crowded as it was on Saturday night.

While the evening’s festivities were not scheduled to begin until 6 p.m., people began arriving before 5:30.

By 6 the place was packed.

Behind the building several pots of crawfish boiled for hungry diners, just around the corner an enormous smoker churned out chicken and sausage.

Johnny Byrne, Mike’s cousin, and Donnie Holloway helped to organize the event and manned the grill.

“If Mike could help someone he would,” Johnny said of his cousin’s giving spirit. “He would love to see all these people.”

But no one is exactly sure how long it will be before Byrne can return to work or even leave the hospital for that matter.

Anna said her husband is still in the intensive care unit at St. Frances.

“He’s stable for his condition,” she said. “But he has a long road ahead.”

Anna said what her family needs most at this time is prayer.

“We can just take one day at a time right now,” she said.

And while Anna and her family might only be able to handle one day at a time, much of the Natchez community clearly took charge of Saturday night.

As Anna tried to make her way through the crowd of hundreds she was constantly stopped, hugged and reminded that her family was on the minds of many.