In a world where streaming services are king, the last video rental store in Pocatello, Idaho, seemed destined to fade into a distant memory.

But for the owner’s one devoted customer, the magic of browsing shelves for her favorite Disney classics was something that he couldn’t let happen, so instead he made a bit of his own magic for the woman. David Kraning, 47, had run Video Stop for years, clinging to the nostalgia of a bygone era even as profits dwindled.

When he finally decided to close the store, one question haunted him: What would happen to Christina Cavanaugh, his most loyal customer? The 35-year-old, who has Down syndrome and is mostly nonverbal, had visited three times a week for more than 15 years with her mother, Toni Cavanaugh, 71.

Christina Cavanaugh picks out her video rental at Kraning’s store. Photo courtesy of Toni Cavanaugh

For Christina, picking out DVDs like Mulan and Hercules was more than a habit — it was a lifeline. “I’d talked to Toni about needing to close, and I could tell she was distraught about it,” David said. “Her daughter doesn’t handle change very well. Coming to the shop was a big part of her day.”

Determined not to upend Christina’s world, he hatched a plan. In a corner of his K & B Kwik Stop convenience store, right next to the Video Stop, he installed shelves stocked with 200 DVDs, including 50 Disney favorites. Employees dubbed it “Christina’s Corner.” “They’d been coming in for years,” David said. “They were almost like family.” When Toni first saw the makeshift rental spot, she was overcome. “David said, ‘Look, I want to show you something,’” she recalled.

I was crying so hard that I could barely talk to thank him.”

For Christina, the routine is sacred. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, she arrives after her time at an adult special education center, selects a movie, and hands over $1.05 at the counter. “She loves her routine — we’ll go to the video store, then have dinner and go to exercise class,” Toni said. Staff members, trained to echo Christina’s recitation of her phone number during checkout, have become part of the ritual. “They’re really, really good to us there,” Toni added.

Christina Cavanaugh pays for a video rental at Kraning’s store. Photo courtesy of Toni Cavanaugh

David’s gesture was born from understanding. Over the years, he’d seen how other closures — like that of Great American Video, which Christina called “Beast” after Beauty and the Beast — rocked her world. “She doesn’t understand things closing,” Toni said, recalling how Christina once insisted on visiting the shuttered store, only to find locked doors. “It’s really heartbreaking to watch the anguish.”

Now, the Kwik Stop’s tiny rental nook offers stability. “You can see that it means a lot to her to have that routine continue,” David said. Though a handful of former customers occasionally borrow films, the corner exists primarily for Christina. “I’ve tried to keep things looking about the same as they were, even though it’s smaller,” he said.

For Toni, the relief is immeasurable. “It’s huge because it was a really heavy thing weighing on me … and then to find [this] out, it’s like being sentenced to prison and then getting a reprieve,” she said. “How can your heart not melt when you just see how good they are about taking care of people in their community?” David said it was never a question of would he help the tradition continue on. “I’m really happy to have played a part,” he said.