An unexpected Secret Santa surprise for a beloved track coach and school paraprofessional
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A local Secret Santa is giving $1 million to deserving people in eastern Idaho this holiday season and the East Idaho News elves are helping out.
Every day, from now until the end of the year, we’ll be posting a Secret Santa surprise, and today, we are in Rexburg with a gift for Nathan and Renata.
Nathan is an amazing paraprofessional and a beloved track coach at a local school. When he brings his special needs students to PE classes, he jumps right in and plays the game with them. All of the students love having him around. It is often a fight for which team he will help with each day as everyone wants to be on his team. He is positive and uplifting to everyone in the class and helps to include students of all athletic levels.
Nathan spent most weeknights after school, many weekends and the summer driving busses for Salt Lake Express. Renata recently moved to Utah to finish school, so he is basically a single dad for the moment.
Last school year, Nathan became ill. At first, it was like he couldn’t get over a winter cold but a rash developed all over his skin. Eventually, he lost strength in his hands, and there were many other unexplained symptoms.
Doctors could not figure out what was going on and tried a few medications that did not work. Nathan became so weak he could not drive buses anymore, and then he was no longer able to go to school.
He lost 50 lbs. and almost all of his muscle mass. Doctors finally figured out what was happening and Nathan was diagnosed with dermatomyositis and encephalitis. He is currently in rehab and finding treatments for his illnesses but times are very hard. Renata is still out of state at school and he is not strong enough to drive bus.
Fortunately, he is back in school working as a para, but he has to limit physical exertion, so he is unable to go to PE classes for the time being.
Secret Santa asked us to pay Nathan a visit and surprise him with an early Christmas present. Check out the video in the player above.
