Single mother with two special needs children seeks help from Item Santa

LYNN – "Ivan and Sonya (not their real names) are both patients at Children’s Hospital, Boston," the social worker writes at the bottom of this letter."This year we could not help this family with the holiday gifts, so we are asking for your assistance."Ivan and Sonya’s mother explains their situation simply."I am a single parent of two special needs kids," he letter begins."My daughter is almost 12 years old and loves to be creative. She is making some kids’ jewelry out of beads when she has them, she likes to do other art and craft projects, and she likes to solve puzzles and watch videos as well as read books.""She is also at that age when the girls like to experiment with their looks (use make-up, change the hair style and etc.).""My son is 10 years old and is very active. One of his diagnoses is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He loves the outdoor activities as well as playing indoors.""His favorite toys are ‘Star Wars’, he is dreaming of getting a complete "Star Wars’ saga and to make his own space saber.""He loves the electronic games, especially the computer ones. He loves to watch videos like ‘Star Wars’, ‘Scooby Doo’, ‘Yu-Gi-Oh’ and others like that. Lately he has become interested in playing with the ‘Yu-Gi-Oh’ cards as well as reading ‘Star Wars’ books or comics.""Due to my kids’ medical problems I could not obtain or maintain employment and we have just the disability benefits to cover our expenses. I would greatly appreciate your help in making this Christmas special for our kids."This woman’s struggles are typical of the families that The Item Santa program tries to help every Christmas. In a holiday season when we try to remember the needs of those we love, she reminds us that we should also remember the needs of those we do not know.Click here to make a donation to Item Santa.For further information contact the Salvation Army at (781) 598-0673.