Single Mom of 4 Works Hard to Feed Her Kids after Husband’s Death, Gets $10,000 at Christmas

A single mom of four had no choice but to raise four kids alone after a tragic freak accident took her husband from them. Months later, she received an extravagant gift from a stranger in the form of a large amount of money.

There's nothing more painful than losing a loved one unexpectedly. For Abby Toone, what made losing her husband even more devastating was that she lost him because of a freak accident in their farmland.

Abby was a proud wife when her husband Jon joined the United States Army Reserve as a specialist. He supported the 19th special forces group during the war on terror before returning home to be with his family.

A Dream Cut Short

Jon was in the process of building his family's dream home. He and Abby hoped to teach their children how to be self-sufficient and hardworking through their new land.

One day, Jon was working on a fence when he was suddenly stung by three wasps. He immediately started losing his breath and felt his heart racing out of his chest.

Jon's first instinct was to call his wife, Abby. She quickly made her way to him and dialed 911 frantically to get to the scene. Meanwhile, Jon drove as fast as he could to get help, but the farthest he could go was to a neighbor's house.

A Tragic, Untimely Death

Jon collapsed in his neighbor's home and ultimately died in Abby's arms. Abby had hoped it wasn't too late for Jon, but even though they tried to revive him at the hospital, it was unsuccessful.

Suddenly, Abby became a grieving widow and single mother to four young children, all under ten years old. She was thrust into many roles at once, with so many new responsibilities falling on her shoulders.

Abby and Jon loved each other dearly. Jon left his life in Canada and sought American citizenship to be with her, and he's done everything he could for his family. His death devastated Abby and their children so much, as they no longer knew how to live without him.

Life after Jon

Working as a cosmetologist, Abby struggled to pay all the bills alone and put food on their family's table. Although Jon had a life insurance policy, it didn't come quickly enough, and she needed other ways to get the money she and her children needed to survive.

During Abby's first Christmas without Jon, a generous anonymous donor surprised her with $10,000 through East Idaho News.

When Jon died, it was nearing Christmas. Not only would Abby and her children have to celebrate the special holiday without him, but they also had no means to buy Christmas presents like they usually did.

Remaining Kind and Hopeful

Despite the sudden change in their lives, Abby remained hopeful and tried to help others as much as possible. She'd often give haircuts and makeovers for free for those unable to pay and continued to do so even though her circumstances changed.

What Abby didn't realize, however, was that her story tugged heartstrings across the country, and many wished to help her and her children live normal lives as they did before losing Jon in such a tragic accident.

During Abby's first Christmas without Jon, a generous anonymous donor surprised her with $10,000 through East Idaho News. The Secret Santa asked the news station to deliver the present to the family, and they did–not with a sleigh and reindeer, but with a helicopter!

A Surprise Gift from Secret Santa

In a touching video, the news team is seen talking to Abby, who painfully recalls the loss of her husband. Then as her children surround her, they are given a box, which they open together.

Her son began asking questions excitedly after seeing that it was a check. "How much is it?" he asked her mom. When she kept mentioning that it was a lot, her children began guessing how much the check was worth. "100? 1000?" they asked.

"Ten thousand," Abby finally said in tears. Her children then said thank you, appreciating what the Secret Santa had given them. Abby couldn't stop her tears while letting the viewers know how much she and her children appreciated the gift.

Abby's children also rode the East Idaho News Helicopter, which they called "awesome." There were big smiles on all four kids' faces, and they went on to greet viewers a "merry Christmas" before heading back inside their home with their mom.

On top of the $10,000 they received that Christmas, a kind soul also started a GoFundMe campaign for the Toone family. To date, it raised $13,635, with 98 donors pitching in to help.

Click here to read the story of a Secret Santa who gave 400 families $195 worth of gift cards and letters of hope before Christmas.