【Hannah Harper Archives】

I have Hannah Harper Archivesto thank Facebook's wacky algorithm for this one. I was surfing the social network this week when a trending local story caught my eye. The abbreviated headline was something like, "McDonald's throws retirement party for longtime employee in Needham, MA," which is my hometown.

I clicked on the link, wondering who could possibly merit a retirement party from the biggest fast-food chain on the planet, and when I saw the employee's face, it made a lot more sense.

Freia David has worked at the McDonald's in Needham for 32 years. She started behind the French fry machine, a.k.a. the Fry-o-lator, back in 1984, which also happens to be the year I was born. That means she has been making delicious McDonald's French fries for as long as I have been alive.

That kind of commitment would be special in its own right, but what's even more impressive is that Freia held down the fry machine with Down Syndrome.

Reading the story, I was flooded with memories, and began to cry. But fear not -- they were tears of joy and appreciation for a hard-working woman who served me countless Happy Meals with a smile.

I remember heading to McDonald's on half-days during my middle school years, when parents begin to trust their kids to walk "uptown" alone. Freia was on duty nearly every time, and she worked those Fry-o-lator knobs like a pro. Given my busy lifestyle as a reporter, I wind up eating fast food a lot nowadays, and let me tell you, the fries in Los Angeles can't compete with the fries that were overseen by Freia.

Once, I remember someone using the "R-word" to make fun of her because their precious order got screwed up, and I thought to myself, "I'd punch this guy if I was a little bit older and bigger." Sure, I admit to giggling about how she had the perfect name for someone in charge of the fries at McDonald's, but it really pissed me off the time that disgruntled customer made a crack about her disability.

To Freia's credit, she never lost her cool or let Down Syndrome define her as far as I know. Not that I've ever had a real conversation with her, though I certainly wish I had taken the time to do just that. But you could just tell by her warm and generous smile that she was always enjoying herself. I can't imagine the hundreds of teenagers she saw pass through that McDonald's over the years, both in front of and behind the counter.

I don't really remember the men and women who waited on me at Friendly's or Papa Gino's or the Ground Round, but I remember Freia David. Here's to 32 incredible years at the Golden Arches! Should our paths cross next time I'm back in Needham, the large fry is on me.

Watch the video above, courtesy of WBZ-TV, for a glimpse at the joy Freia brought to customers.