The crew at East Idaho News is once again helping a Secret Santa spread Christmas cheer to community members facing hardships during the holiday season.
In his article Tuesday, reporter Nate Eaton shared the story of a woman named Alesia who adores her four children and one angel baby.
When her and her husband’s son, Briggs, was born in 2021, the couple learned he had several health issues and he spent a lot of time being cared for in the neonatal intensive care unite (NICU) until he was strong enough to go home:
After enduring many trips to doctors and hospitals for sickness and testing, and being intubated and flown to Utah for a month-long stay in the PICU [pediatric intensive care unit] (where we weren’t sure he would survive), they finally got results of a brain and genetic disorder that will consist of lifelong challenges. At 2 ½ years old, he is learning to walk but is not verbal. He has weekly physical, occupational, and speech therapies where he has had to learn the simplest things like how to sit up and he is learning sign language to communicate. He is strictly G-tube fed with food or liquids orally and wears oxygen when sleeping.
According to SpeechEase Speech Therapy, different conditions can cause a child to have difficulty speaking.
However, parents can help their “nonspeaking child communicate in many ways, using gestures, signs, assistive technology and words.”
Alesia works extremely hard to care for her family while also holding down two part-time jobs. In addition, her husband works as a farm manager and as a volunteer EMT and firefighter in Aberdeen.
Secret Santa wanted to bless this deserving family, so he sent Eaton’s team out to surprise Alesia at her son’s physical therapy session with $2,000 worth of gas cards, $3,000 worth of grocery cards, and a $5,000 check.
Alesia was shocked when she saw Eaton, and she appeared to become emotional while explaining how her son was improving.
“He’s doing wonderful,” she said. Moments later, Briggs helped his mother open the gifts, and Alesia stated, “Wow, that’s awesome. Thank you.”
After opening the presents, she said, “I watch these all the time and I never thought it would ever be me.”
Social media users shared their thoughts on the touching scene, one person writing, “In a cold cold world, there is so much hope!”
“Secret Santa, whomever you are, may God continue to bless you to be a blessing to others. Nate continue to make people’s lives better through Secret Santa,” another person commented.
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