A secret Santa in eastern Idaho is once again blessing neighbors throughout the Christmas season this year.
The team at East Idaho News is helping the anonymous person give away $1 million in gifts to community members who have experienced hardships, the outlet’s Nate Eaton reported Tuesday.
The article detailed the story of a young woman named Whitney who is the mother of three children. When her nine-month-old baby, a little girl named Charlie, began suffering from seizures in August, the family took her to several different hospitals for care.
According to Boston Children’s Hospital, seizures occur “when brain cells fire or ‘talk’ too much, temporarily disrupting the brain’s normal electrical signals.”
The hospital said they are common and can be caused by numerous different factors, including disease or injury.
Charlie was given medicine, then underwent tests, blood draws, and X-rays until she was finally diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder. Her care will require she visit her doctors often in Utah and Idaho Falls, an approximately 40-minute trip from where the family lives.
Eaton and his crew went to visit them in Fremont County and brought with them a $1,000 check to help cover the family’s expenses, $2,000 in gas cards, and $3,000 in grocery gift cards.
Whitney and her children were all smiles when she opened the door to greet Eaton for the big surprise. The young mother grew emotional as she opened the gifts, saying “Thank you” through tears.
Social media users expressed their joy at the scene, one person writing, “What a beautiful lady and cute kiddos!! Thanks for helping them out, Secret Santa; you can tell it meant a lot to her!”
“This is absolutely my most favorite time of year!!! The secret Santa!! God bless whoever does this for these sweet deserving people!!!!” another person commented, while someone else said, “That’s wonderful.”