LIMA — Mary and her family have had a difficult year.
The mother of three and her 9-year-old, Amy, were in a car accident — hit head-on by a semi-truck at more than 70 miles-per-hour. Janie, 7, is scheduled for surgery to remove adenoids near her tonsils.
Mary said she and her daughter are healthy now, and treatment for their injuries was covered by the family’s health insurance.
Mary’s is one of the many families who will be profiled between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day this year with the Adopt A Stocking program, run through the Salvation Army in partnership with The Lima News. Donations to the program help bring a better holiday to the families featured in these stories.
The generosity of readers raised $10,180 to help the families profiled in 2021, not to mention a variety of individual items donated to particular families to help meet their needs. All families are referred to with pseudonyms to protect their identities.
Mary said the same night as the car accident, her aunt had a major heart attack and her heart stopped twice before she was revived.
Amy has an overactive thyroid and has to see an endocrinologist on a regular basis. Janie has insomnia and sleep apnea.
Mary, who supports her children and boyfriend, Bryan, with a part-time job, said she will have to take three weeks off of work to care for Janie after the surgery.
The kids have medical appointments in Dayton often, and gas for a newly purchased car to replace the one from the accident has been a significant cost for the family. Mary said gas cards would help the family with these costs.
Mary said 2022 has been full of bills and worry, so she is looking forward to spending time with her kids for Christmas. She hopes she will be able to giver her kids gifts, and is grateful for any help at all.
Mary said the family would appreciate blankets and socks for women size nine and men size 12. The kids need rain and snow boots — youth sizes two and three, and women 8.5.
The kids would like snowpants in medium 7/8 and large 14/16. Laundry soap, shampoo, conditioner and bodywash would be a big help for the family.
Mary needs 0X leggings and 3X shirts, and Bryan needs 38 x 32 jeans, 3X t-shirts and size 12 sneakers.
Mary said the family would appreciate any help from the community and they are grateful to the Salvation Army.
“We’re good-hearted and we try to help people out when we can,” Mary said. “We pay forward everything.”
The Adopt a Stocking Fund benefits families during the holiday season. Monetary donations by check can be mailed to Adopt A Stocking; c/o The Salvation Army; P.O. Box 234, Lima, OH 45801. All material donations for a specific family should be dropped off at the Salvation Army, 614 E. Market St., Lima, and should include a copy of the article or the date the story appeared in The Lima News. See past stories at LimaOhio.com/tag/stocking.
