A single mother of eight children in Malad, Idaho, was at a loss for words after receiving a much-needed gift from Secret Santa.
Lorraine works at a local school trying to make ends meet while supporting her eight children, ages 4 to 23. Her two oldest children are in college but are studying at home to help their mother, while the third oldest is preparing to leave on a mission soon, according to East Idaho News.
The big family has a vehicle, but it is unreliable and does not fit their entire family. Because of this, Loraine rarely leaves Malad out of fear the vehicle might break down.
Despite Lorraine’s current hardships, she is known to be “sweet, kind, and loving” and to have a permanent smile on her face.
When a local Secret Santa, who is giving away $1 million to Idaho families in need this Christmas season, heard about Lorraine’s situation, he decided to give her a gift she desperately needed.
Lorraine received a brand-new Honda Odyssey minivan to replace her previously unreliable vehicle. In addition, Secret Santa also gifted Lorraine a $1,000 check for insurance and registration for the minivan, $5,000 worth of groceries, and covered her propane bill for the rest of winter.
The mother was overcome with emotion and at a loss for words when East Idaho News’s Nate Eaton presented the gifts on behalf of Secret Santa.
She later sent a letter to the outlet to give to Secret Santa, expressing her gratitude for the blessing she received right before Christmas.
“Please tell Secret Santa how grateful my family is. How grateful I am. I can’t even begin to express the gratitude I feel. This was truly a Christmas miracle for us,” Lorraine wrote.
The heartwarming gift also wowed social media users.
“Awww, exactly what she needed, and she was so grateful,” one individual commented on YouTube. “Beautiful family, too!!”
“The relief these people feel when they get a visit from Nate is powerful,” another user commented. “[T]he stress taken away from them alone is priceless. Secret Santa is a true legend.”
The local Secret Santa has also spread Christmas cheer to other Idaho residents this holiday season, including giving $10,000 checks to a mother of a son suffering from a traumatic brain injury and to a family whose infant daughter is in the hospital with a heart defect.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
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