A road trip and speeding ticket couldn't stop a Secret Santa from delivering a big gift to this family of 13 - East Idaho News

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Secret Santa

A road trip and speeding ticket couldn’t stop a Secret Santa from delivering a big gift to this family of 13

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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 surprising a family of 13 living in Pocatello.

The Hellstroms are a blended family with 11 children ranging in age from 9 months to 18 years old. Missy and Scott are a service-oriented couple who work hard to teach their children to be upstanding citizens by example.

Right now they are facing an incredibly tough holiday season. Both parents work very hard at their jobs but are struggling financially. Their dryer broke, leaving them unable to do laundry at home, and although they have vehicles, they are constantly experiencing various mechanical issues, adding extra stress to their already challenging situation.

Despite their hardships, this family has generously volunteered countless hours to the kids’ schools and to the community.

Through it all, they both continue to maintain a positive outlook, trusting in God, and doing their best without looking to others to solve their problems. They would never ask for assistance if they think it’s possible to figure it out themselves.

Secret Santa asked the East Idaho News elves to take the Hellstroms a big gift and, while there were some challenges along the way (including a speeding ticket!), their present arrived just in time for Christmas. Watch the video in the player above!

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