The gifting season is almost upon us! And with it comes the cheer and hope that is customary of the festive season. But, for millions of people who are struggling to get by, life does not become easier on Christmas. Unless some strangers unite to show the common good. As we head into the Christmas season, here is one story from 2018 that is sure to rekindle your belief in humanity.
People who are tasked with caring for others have an added responsibility to keep fighting, no matter how tough life may become. For Las Vegas resident Ella Setzler, that was the case until 2018. At the time, the 72-year-old had a tight income as her only source was a government pension for being a gold star wife. If she was alone that may have been enough. But the great-grandma was looking after 6 of her great-grandchildren all on her own!
A Life Filled With Struggles
Ella Setzler was not only caring for them, they were like a gift to her. In an interview with FOX5, she said: “They mean so much to me, They’re my heart. I had to rescue them.”
To even raise one child properly is challenge, let alone 6. Not to mention that Ella did this all while being over 70 years old. She cooked, cleaned, and tried her best to give them a stable life so that the children could grow up properly. Truly remarkable.
Seltzer was having to pay for childcare, utilities, car, and rent. To make matters worse, her home had suffered a water leak and it would take $900 to fix it. Ella may be one of the nicest persons on Earth, but expenses were adding up quickly.
However, Ella had another gift in her life: Alice, her dearest friend. Seeing her struggle for so long, she searched for a way to help her out long-term. So, she wrote to the Surprise Squad at FOX5 News. In the letter, she wrote that Ella was hurting and Alice was hurting knowing she could not help her.
A Christmas Gift For Ella
The Surprise Squad heeded the call and showed up at Ella’s home in 2018, just a few days shy of Christmas. Ella could not hold back her tears any longer. She immediately knew that she had only one person in her life who could give her this gift, and that was Alice.
Of course, the Surprise Squad lived up to its name and was carrying quite a few gifts. The first gift was to deal with Ella’s water leak, it would be repaired free of charge. Then, the squad’s staff deep cleaned the house, brought in some brand new furniture, and installed a Christmas tree for the kids to enjoy. Finally, they filled the tree with presents for every child of Ella as well as gift cards worth $500.
For Ella, they prepared an all-expense-paid trip to the spa for a day. She even got chauffeured around in a limousine while her home was being renovated. And perhaps the best gift was that they paid a whole year’s rent for Ella. She could only exclaim while crying:
But Ella had taught the children she had been caring for that material stuff is not the important thing in life. Rather, as one great-grandchild put it: “It’s not about your presents. It’s about loving your family.”
