Ella Setzler is a 72-year old widow who took in all 6 of her great-grandchildren. "They mean so much to me. They’re my heart. I had to rescue them," she said.
A lot of us don’t want to let on to other people how big our struggles are. But fortunately, good friends are out there and always looking out for us.
When one elderly woman came down on hard times, her best friend was there to help her out and launched the push to give this woman a miraculous Christmas.
She has 6 kids to raise on her own.
Ella Setzler is a 72-year old widow who took in all 6 of her great-grandchildren. Although that may seem overwhelming, she believes that it is all worth it. She says:
“They mean so much to me, they’re my heart, I had to rescue them.”
But this devoted great-grandmother was having a hard time behind the scenes.
Tougher than it looks
She was experiencing immense financial troubles.
As a military widow, she wasn’t earning much income on her own, and taking care of six children on top of living expenses was just too much.
In addition to her regular rent, car, utilities, and childcare bills, her home also had a water leak that would cost her $900 to fix. She simply did not have the financial means to keep up with all of this.
Fortunately, she had one good friend who was looking out for her. Her friend Alice knew she needed some help. But Alice wasn’t able to fix everything for Ella. She says:
“She’s hurting and I’m hurting ‘cos I can’t help her.”
But, even though Alice couldn’t pay for all of Ella’s needs, she knew how to get help.
She reached out to the FOX5 Surprise Squad, a group that accepts nominations for community members who need help.
The Surprise Suad showed up.
As soon as she knew what was going on, she burst into tears. And then, Ms. Alice showed up and the two best friends shared a huge hug.
Many people pitched in for Ms. Ella
The organization Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada and Aqua Plumbing pitched in to fix her water issues for free.
That kindness alone was enough to make Ms. Ella cry.
Some of the help wasn’t all about getting her financial affairs in order. The team dedicated to helping her also recognized the importance of giving Ms. Ella a chance to pamper herself.
After all the good news about how her house would be fixed, a limousine pulled up and whisked her and Ms. Alice away for a spa day.
The surprises kept coming.
The whole Surprise Squad team came in and fully decorated Ms. Ella’s house for Christmas. They gave the house a deep clean and redecorated with new furniture.
They even put up a tree.
Underneath that new Christmas tree, the Squad put Christmas presents that they had bought for all of Ms. Ella’s children. They even gave $500 gift cards for each child.
The biggest gift of all?
United Nissan decided to pay the rent on her house for a full year.
They even put up a tree.
Underneath that new Christmas tree, the Squad put Christmas presents that they had bought for all of Ms. Ella’s children. They even gave $500 gift cards for each child.
The biggest gift of all?
United Nissan decided to pay the rent on her house for a full year.
The owners of the company were motivated to help out in this way because they were so touched by Ms. Ella’s warmth and kindness, and she couldn’t contain herself when she got that good news.
Her eyes and heart overflowed.
“The Lord has heard my prayers! Trust in the Lord and He’ll make a way for you! He made a way for me.” Ella exclaimed through tears of praise and thanks.
This act of kindness changes so much for Ms. Ella’s life and proves that she has a really good friend.
Fixing that water issue and paying her rent is going to make Ms. Ella’s bills go down permanently.
Additionally, giving her great-grandchildren an amazing holiday will make the whole family happier and better off.
“It’s not about presents. It’s about loving your family,” said one of Ella’s great granddaughters.
