7-year-old Derric Smith was killed in a freak snowball incident, last February 8th. The particulars of the incident are still unknown. Derric was known to suffer from grand mal epilepsy, and was prone to epileptic fits. He was seen around town on more than one occasion in his trademark helmet, waving to complete strangers, with a bit of a blank stare. It was this endearing quality that the people of State Center will miss most.Derric was the son of Lee and Andi Smith. Friends and family remember Derric as a joyous soul. His cousin, Haley, remembers a time when they were playing in the backyard: “The sliding glass door in the backyard was closed, but Derric kept trying to walk through it. He always thought that one of these days he would be able to get through. I’ll miss him.” Story’s of love about Derric are a common thing, and many wished to speak fondly of the little guy. Gordon Smith, Derric’s grandfather, wanted to remember the boy’s tenacious spirit: “I remember once, I was giving him a pony ride on my knee, and he was shaking around and gurgling. I thought he was having the time of his life, until I stopped bucking him on my knee. The little tyke just kept right on shaken. One of them grand mal seizures I found out later. Had his grandmother and I laughing for weeks. I loved that kid, and God took him away from us.”Grand mal epilepsy is dangerous because something as insignificant as a tap to the head could bring on seizure. Because of the severity of Derric’s epilepsy, he was ordered by doctors to wear a special helmet. Doris Robards, the mother of Robbie Robards, a good friend of Derric’s remembers Derric before the helmet: “The boy was a great kid. He drooled a little, but he was just a boy. Once, little Derric had a tennis ball hit him right in his head when they were playing some sort of water game in our spa. Well, right there in the spa, Derric started shaking and kicking. It really scared all of us…I mean I thought I was out of detergent, and Derric having a fit in the spa was a chance to get all your clothes done in one wash, instead of three or four.”It was moments like these that finally convinced Lee and Andi to outfit young Derric in a helmet. Inexplicably, Derric was not wearing the helmet the night of his passing. That has come into question lately, as the cause of Derric’s death is still unknown. It is possible that a rogue snowball may have impacted his delicate skull. According to leading snowball expert Shannon Erlichman of Mothers Against Snow Balling, “A snowball to the head may hurt like hell, but I ain’t never seen one drop no child and give’em the shakes”. It’s also possible that the front fender of a black Jeep Grand Cherokee, driven by a Mr. JJ Thompson, may have nicked him. But, that’s for the courts to decide.Services will be held at State Center First Union Church, Mosque and Shabbat. The family requests gifts and donations to be sent to the church.
