Secret Santa’s helpers, the news team from East Idaho News, visited Abby Toone at her home in Malad City to deliver an unexpected surprise from Santa. Abby admitted having struggled to make ends meet since her husband, 37-year-old Jonathan Toone, died suddenly in September 2018, and that burden was about to be lightened in the name of the Christmas spirit.
Moving footage of the moment that single mom Abby and her four kids opened their gift has amassed hundreds of thousands of views after the news crew’s footage was posted online on Dec. 17, 2018.
Abby’s husband, Jonathan, a veteran with the U.S. Army National Guard, had been working outdoors at the family’s property when he was stung by three wasps. He called Abby, who in turn dialed 911. However, Jonathan was already experiencing the onset of anaphylactic shock.
Jonathan pulled into a neighbor’s property and collapsed, unable to drive his car any further. Abby met him there. Jonathan fought for his life for as long as he could but died in Abby’s arms.
The couple’s four children were all under the age of 10, and Abby was left struggling to support them.
At the time of the news team’s visit to Abby’s home, the single mom was still waiting for her late husband’s life insurance policy to be settled. Secret Santa’s gift couldn’t have come at a better time for the grieving family of five.
Santa’s helpers arrived on the Toone family property in their helicopter with cameras rolling, clutching a small gift box with something amazing inside.
The news team disembarked as Abby was leaving her vehicle and announced that she had just had her wisdom teeth pulled, and she could barely talk. “Good timing!” she quipped awkwardly. They greeted her, and she eventually summed up some of her recent experiences: “It’s been rough,” Abby explained, speaking of the months since losing her husband and adjusting to life as a single parent.
As Abby’s four children, Justin, Sarah, Dakota, and Naviah, gathered round excitedly, their mom then opened the family’s gift—a check.
“How much is it?” one of Abby’s children asked.
“A lot,” Abby responded, through tears.
Her adorable children guessed: “$100?” first, then “$1,000?” before Abby had the pleasure of saying it: “$10,000.” All were stunned by Secret Santa’s generosity and Abby in tears.
As Abby and her children absorbed the news that they had become the latest recipients of the East Idaho benefactor’s generosity, hugs and thank yous ensued. “We’re just the deliverers,” the news team explained. “He’s out there; might be watching!”
Making it a winter’s day to remember, the East Idaho News team also invited Abby’s children to take a ride in their helicopter to enjoy their snowy home from an aerial perspective.
As the kids touched down after their exhilarating ride, four very enthusiastic exclamations of “Merry Christmas!” followed.
East Idaho’s “Secret Santa,” a real-life member of the local community, who elects to remain anonymous, gifted a total of US$250,000 in checks to deserving members of the East Idaho community in 2018.
