Family Goes through Rough Year until Stranger Knocks at Their Door Giving Dad Means to Recover His Sight

A family went through the worst after their patriarch suffered a stroke while at work. A Secret Santa hoped to brighten their Christmas by giving them gifts that aimed to make their lives easier.

Eastern Idaho is blessed with a Secret Santa who allocates millions each year to give to community members who need help through the East Idaho news team. The Hill family was one of the recipients in December 2022, and they couldn't be more grateful for the blessing that dropped on their doorstep.

Vinnie and Cindy Hill had gone through the worst after Vinnie suffered a stroke at work. He had been working as a welder for Idahoan Foods for 26 years, and it was such a shock to the family when he could no longer continue working.

Vinnie Hill's Mounting Health Conditions

The stroke affected Vinnie's vision and throat, and he's experienced vertigo, double vision, and dizziness. His eyes were eleven units off, meaning one eye saw 11 inches off the other. On top of his condition, Vinnie also has heart complications and is not in the best shape.

After a month at the hospital, Vinnie was sent home in a wheelchair, but he could not see nor eat normal food. He soon had to be sent back to the ICU after suffering three seizures and heart complications.

Since he could no longer work, his wife Cindy had to step up and take care of everything, from attending to his needs to making sure all the bills were paid. Vinnie was slowly recovering from his stroke but required special glasses to see clearly – something that Secret Santa was happy to help him get.

A Special Christmas Treat

December 2022 was supposed to be a simple celebration for the Hills until the East Idaho News team reached out to them to deliver some Christmas gifts. Cindy couldn't help but cry when the team showed up on their doorstep and later told them they were there to give them some presents.

The first gift was in a box, which Cindy emotionally opened. She found a check for a thousand dollars inside to help get Vinnie the special glasses he needed.

Cindy thought the gift-giving was over until the news team handed her another box. She received it in disbelief, shaking her head in shock. They were grocery gift cards worth $3000 for her entire family. "You guys are so awesome. Thank you SO much. Thank you," she told the news team in tears.

An Uplifting Gesture from Secret Santa

When she thought it was finally over, the news team brought her to the front door, claiming their final gift was too big to bring inside. Cindy, still in tears, was surprised to see a truckload of firewood in her driveway.

Secret Santa gifted her family $2000 worth of firewood, which was more than enough to keep her family warm in the winter. Cindy's family unloaded the firewood together, putting them in their garage to prep them for the cold winter.

When they thought the surprises were over, the news team knocked on their door for yet another surprise: that wasn't the only firewood they were receiving that year! It was only one of the five truckloads of firewood they'd be receiving throughout the winter. Upon hearing this, Cindy said:

"This is way more than I ever could have dreamed of. You guys are so awesome. This has really been an uplifting thing I'll tell you."

Cindy kept sharing with the news team how grateful she was for them, and they, too, kept reminding her that they were simply messengers of the Secret Santa who chooses to spread cheer around Eastern Idaho every Christmas. East Idaho's Secret Santa gives $1 million to deserving families yearly.

Click here to read another touching Secret Santa story from Eastern Idaho, where a 69-year-old widow is gifted a brand new car and $1000 from the generous anonymous donor.