It’s a big gift for a family with a bigger heart.
When we were young, we were often told about the big jolly man clad in a bright red coat. It was said that he visits houses every Christmas Eve, leaving treats and gifts to kids who made it in his “Nice List”.
As we grew older, we realize that this is but a mere fairytale. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make him true.
A native east Idahoan did just that and is known only as Secret Santa.
Secret Santa has been working with East Idaho News. He shells out thousands of dollars every year. The funds he uses come directly from him and not from any program, organization, company, or trust fund.
Through the local news station, Secret Santa provides amazing gifts to people who were nominated.
It was through this generous anonymous donor that a family of 12 got the break they deserved.
Misty and Ben Ashley love kids.
They love kids so much that they have 12 kids ranging from the ages of 1 to 17. Many of these kids were adopted and some of them are in the process of getting adopted.
Raising a family of 12 is not an easy task.
One can only imagine the expenses when it comes to food alone. And with the kids ranging from vastly different ages, their needs are also different. Clothing and other needs can also be challenging. Not to mention the logistics needed to transport the whole brood when they’re going out and about.
Because of this, both Misty and Ben work extremely hard to make ends meet. Ben gets up early in the morning and sometimes isn’t back until after 10 PM. Meanwhile, mom Misty works in the evenings, returning home after midnight.
Despite the challenges, the family keeps a positive attitude.
As one can imagine, traveling with a party of 15 is a gargantuan task. A few years ago, the Ashleys purchased a large van from a junkyard. It has since broken down and has been parked for months in their driveway. And even if they wanted to have it fixed, they have other needs to attend to, like new pieces of furniture so each person has somewhere to comfortably sleep at night.
Luckily, Idaho’s Secret Santa found out about the family and their needs.
Through the “elves” from East Idaho News, the family received a gift they’ll never forget.
The news team knocked on their door and presented them with a $10,000 gift certificate so the family can buy much-needed furniture. The couple couldn’t believe what was happening and was stunned for a few moments.
But that’s not all they received.
The gift certificate hadn’t sunk in yet when the host asked them to walk with him to their driveway. The whole family followed the team until Misty stopped and cried.
Waiting for the family was a brand new 15-seater van.
They climbed into the van which fit them perfectly. And hopefully, they can drive around soon and to places where they can have fun together.
It’s an emotional video with over 1.2 million views. People have left comments like:
“Keep your eyes on the dad. Oh Lord he’s an angel. This had me bawling like hungry newborn.”
Another wrote:
“What a beautiful family, what an honor to been able to give them so much love! God bless you secret Santa! Your a very awesome soul!”
Watch how Secret Santa surprises a family of 12 with a “very big” gift in the heartwarming video below!
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