The “Secret Santa” of eastern Idaho who has gone viral over the last few years for delivering much-needed Christmas gifts to deserving locals has started off strong this holiday season with a generous donation to a family who just went through a high-risk pregnancy and now have a baby with a birth defect.
Nate Eaton and the East Idaho News team surprised Idaho Falls resident Saidu at his job at Sam’s Club this week to give him some hope after his wife, Selena, gave birth to their son, who has been diagnosed with Down syndrome and heart abnormalities.
“Let me tell you a little bit about Saidu and his wife, Selena — she just gave birth to their second child,” Eaton said before entering the store. “She had a high risk pregnancy and had many specialty appointments to see cardiologists at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake. The baby came a month early via emergency C-section, and is currently at EIRMC [Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center] in the NICU.”
While the newborn is hooked up to an oxygen machine in the hospital, Saidu and Selena have struggled to balance work, childcare for their two-year-old, and visiting their baby in the NICU.
Even with their challenges, Eaton said they are the “most generous couple you’ll ever meet:”
They’re always helping their elderly neighbors out by picking up groceries or helping around their yard. Saidu’s always jumping at the opportunity to do what he can to help those around him. He once left work to help his neighbor, who had fallen on the floor. They’re both such hard workers. Selena was a teacher, but took time off to stay home with their kids. They’ve had a lot of medical expenses with the pregnancy, and [the new baby] might end up needing another heart surgery.
“Well, Secret Santa asked us if we could go deliver some gifts,” the reporter said before going into the Sam’s Club to deliver the gift from an anonymous good Samaritan.
When asked how he and his wife were doing, Saidu told the camera crew that it has been a “roller coaster” of a year.
“The baby came in four weeks early,” he said. “The baby is going to be at the NICU for the next four weeks, maybe, because he’s still using oxygen until he’s able to breathe on his own.”
“It’s challenging, especially juggling — because we have a two-year-old at home — trying to figure out, because… you have to be 18 years and above [to go to the NICU],” Saidu explained. “And so [we’re] planning between going to the NICU and who is going to watch the two-year-old at home. And currently we have one car, so it’s really been hard. Like she has to drop me off at work [and] find somebody to look at the two-year-old to go to the NICU.”
When he works late shifts until midnight, Saidu sometimes cannot see his baby until one or two in the morning.
“Well, an anonymous Secret Santa asked us to come and visit you here at work, and we have a gift for you that we’d love to give to you,” said Eaton.
Upon opening the first gift, Saidu was surprised to see $2,000 in gift cards to a local grocery store.
“I’m literally shaking, wow. Thank you. Whoever the Secret Santa is, I want to thank them. …This will take us a long way,” he said in disbelief.
“This is really going to help us a lot with — especially this period — where a lot of our bills have not been taken care of by our insurance.”
After repeating his thanks, Saidu was surprised with an even bigger gift — a check for $3,000.
Continuing to shake and cover his face to hide the tears, he said, “I’m just grateful. I think this is gonna really take us a long way [by] helping us with medical bills and everything.”
The hardworking father of two could not wait to call his wife and tell her what they had just been blessed with.
On a video call, Selena was also able to be surprised with the generous gifts.
“I’m speechless, oh my goodness. This is such a blessing for us,” Saidu’s wife exclaimed.
“Thank you,” Selena added before the camera crew left the money in her husband’s hands.
The anonymous Secret Santa is giving out $1 million to “deserving people” in eastern Idaho over the next season, the outlet reported.