Double Christmas gift: A Secret Santa stuns school aide, then delivers a second surprise for her mom
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A local Secret Santa is giving $1 million to deserving people in eastern Idaho this holiday season. Every day, from now until the end of the year, the East Idaho News elves will be delivering gifts from Secret Santa and we’ll be sharing the surprise videos here.
A mother and daughter known for quietly lifting others are having the tables turned as our Secret Santa is surprising both of them today!
For Rachael, a single mother of three young boys, life has been a long stretch of doing everything she can to provide for her family. She works as a paraprofessional aide at an elementary school and previously devoted years to helping youth and adults with disabilities.
Rachael’s washer and dryer broke months ago, forcing her to haul laundry for three young children to a laundromat. Her boys also sleep on makeshift beds, and the family has long gone without proper mattresses or bedroom furniture.
Secret Santa learned of Rachael’s situation and stepped in with some surprise gifts. But the generosity didn’t end there.
Rachael’s mother, DeAnn, received a surprise of her own.
A former nurse, DeAnn is best known across the community for her extraordinary sewing talents. For 25 years, she has volunteered with the Idaho Falls Youth Arts Centre, hand-crafting hundreds of costumes for plays, musicals, and youth productions. Her work has helped bring countless shows to life—and she has never asked for recognition.
These days, she takes on sewing and alteration projects from neighbors to bring in a little extra income, though she rarely charges what her work is worth. Helping others is simply who she is.
Friends say DeAnn has always been the first to serve — whether her kids, her grandkids, or anyone who knocks on her door.
Secret Santa asked the East Idaho News elves to surprise this wonderful mother and daughter. Check out the video in the player above!
