CALUMET CITY, Ill. (WGN) — Christmas may be over, but the season of giving is not. On Sunday morning, a resilient family enduring through tough times received an unexpected surprise.
With their grandma, aunt and Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones leading the way, 8-year-old Bellamiss, 6-year-old Brialyah and 2-year-old Lavayden walked into pure joy inside the Calumet City Public Library—a surprise dubbed “Christmas in January” after the young trio’s caretakers endured near-death experiences alongside financial troubles.
The children’s aunt, LaToya Taylor, is recovering after being placed into a medically-induced coma right before Christmas.
“They were saying that I had fluid in my heart and fluid in my lungs,” Taylor said. “I had to be intubated, and I was in a coma for a day and a half on life support.”
Their grandma, Ada Britton, also suffered a heart attack recently. She told WGN-TV her oldest granddaughter helped save her during the harrowing experience.
“That’s my ace in the hole,” Britton said. “My other two, I just love them to death. They keep me going. I had strokes where I couldn’t feed myself … They keep me on my toes, they keep me going.”
Less than 24 hours after hearing the family’s story, Jones rallied a team together and used his personal resources to buy toys to put under the Christmas tree and bless the family with $2,000 and hundreds of dollars in gift cards.
“This reminded me of my mother and growing up in Ford Heights,” Jones said. “We grew up with 11 kids and additional family members.
“Each of us should help somebody else. You shouldn’t just let people go without Christmas.”