Community Helps A Generous Great Grandmother

Being a parent is challenging, and being a mom is even more complicated. Nonetheless, Ms. Ella from Las Vegas, Nevada, went above and beyond the traditional role of a mother. Not only did she raise her children, but she also took on the responsibility of raising her grandchildren and even six great-grandchildren.

Throughout her life, Ms. Ella has always been a firm believer and instilled that same faith in her surrogate children. Regardless, her faith was put to the test when she faced a streak of bad luck at the worst possible time. As winter approached, things came to a head for her extended family, with dire consequences.

Ms. Ella, a military widow, has always prioritized her loved ones and dedicated her life to caring for them. Yet, even the most selfless people need a helping hand sometimes, and Ms. Ella was long overdue for one after all the good she has done for her family. As a single mother and great-grandmother, she has no local friends to rely on and handles most tasks on her own.

We all have best friends, and for Ms. Ella, that person is Alicestine “Ms. Alice” Miller from California. Even with the geographical distance, the two have been incredibly supportive of each other, and even though they don’t get to meet up often, their friendship remains strong. It was Ms. Alice who helped to arrange the amazing surprise for her friend.

To be efficient, the Fox5 Surprise Squad works with various organizations like United Nissan in Las Vegas, American Credit Union, and Albertsons Vons, all of whom have a shared goal of enhancing luck and happiness for the nominees who have given so much to others. Ms. Alice, Ms. Ella’s best friend, sent a letter to the Fox5 Surprise Squad, highlighting her friend’s selfless struggles.

The letter continued, “My friend Ms. Ella is a… great-grandmother raising six great-grandchildren by herself. They’re her life.” In the video, Miller highlights the issues her best friend is going through, saying, “She cooks, she cleans for the children, she’s truly just a good person.”

Miller was pretty passionate about her best friend and her family’s well-being, explaining in the video, “[Ms. Ella] needs someone to help her with the water at the house. That bill is $900, and she pays $200 a month on it – and it’s not going down. Sometimes, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, you know?”

The Fox5 team was deeply moved by the struggles of Ms. Ella and her great-grandchildren, who were facing the possibility of not celebrating Christmas due to their difficult circumstances. 

When Ms. Ella saw who was on her doorstep, she was overwhelmed with emotion, and tears began to flow. The Fox5 team, led by Cassandra Jones, informed her that they had received a letter from someone. Ms. Ella immediately knew who it was, as she mouthed the name “Alice” through her tears.

While consoling the emotional Ms. Ella, Jones announced the first gift from the Fox5 Surprise Squad. Ms. Ella couldn’t believe her ears when she heard that her best friend, Ms. Alice was also present, as she thought her friend was in California.

After everyone had settled down, Jones asked Ms. Ella about her great-grandchildren and how she felt about them. Ms. Ella replied with a smile, “Oh Lord, they mean so much to me. They’re my heart; I had to rescue them.” Still, Ms. Ella admitted that she couldn’t talk about their past. “I don’t want to go all into it,” the emotional great-grandmother said through tears.

Ms. Alice revealed how dire the situation was for Ms. Ella and how everything was falling apart, mulling, “By the time she’s paid for the house, the car, insurance and fed six kids, everything is gone.” That wasn’t all; denying her great-grandchildren Christmas was also a heart-breaking decision for Ms. Ella.

To get everything going, Jones introduced Ms. Ella to representatives of two companies, Bob Cleveland from the charity Rebuilding Together and Beckie White from Aqua Plumbing, who came as part of the Fox5 Surprise Squad. 

Cleveland explained to Ms.Ella what they would do in the video, saying, “We’re going to take care of all the water issues in the yard, we’re going to fix the leak in the yard [and] we’re going to replace the toilets.” White also chimed in, commenting, “We’re going to pay the balance of the water bill for you, so you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

Ms. Ella couldn’t hide her delight, laughing heartily, saying, “I feel good.” Still, that was just the start of the gifts from the Fox5 Surprise Squad, as she would soon find out. The team had also arranged a treat for Ms. Ella and Ms. Alice, a spa day for the two women while the crew fixed up Ms. Ella’s house.

As Ms. Ella and Ms. Alice were being driven away in the limousine for their spa day, the Fox5 Surprise Squad team began working on Ms. Ella’s property with total dedication. Jones commented, “Our whole squad is here, even station management. Everybody’s getting their hands dirty, pitching in to give those kids the best Christmas possible.” 

What’s more, Artie White of Aqua Plumbing, who was part of the Fox5 Surprise Squad team, said that Ms. Ella’s future water bills should be much lower. He added, “She doesn’t need to be spending all her money on her water bill, it should go down somewhere between $35 and $40.”

As the Fox5 Surprise Squad team continued to work on Ms. Ella’s property, RC Willey Home Furnishings also stopped by to provide her with some lovely new home decor. The company added new furniture and accessories that helped transform Ms. Ella’s home into a completely new and updated property.

After a refreshing spa day, Ms. Ella came back to a crowd assembled in her front yard, applauding her arrival. Fox5 Surprise Squad’s new member Faven Kay greeted her and informed her that they had fixed the water leak concerns for her, so she wouldn’t have to worry about that. Kay continued, “And we really wanted to spread a little extra Christmas cheer, because you so deserve it.” 

As she looked around at the changes in her home, Ms. Ella commented through her tears of joy, “It’s so beautiful.” What she didn’t know, though, was that the changes went far beyond the living room, as Kay explained to the stunned great-grandmother. Kay told her, “As you can see, you have some new furniture and a new TV.” 

Kay excitedly adds, “And we know how much you love to cook, so we have a special surprise for you, a $500 Albertsons gift card! You can use it to make all kinds of delicious meals for your family.” 

The Fox5 team wasn’t done, and Kay introduced her friend, Don Forman, co-owner of United Nissan, to Ms. Ella. Excited to meet her, Don warmly greets Ms. Ella with a hug before explaining his presence. 

Forman continued to surprise Ms. Ella with his generosity and announced, “So, we’re going to pay for your house for the next year.” The announcement surprised both Ms. Ella and Miller, and they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Ms. Ella covers her face with her hands, overcome with emotion, before reaching out to Don for another hug, expressing her gratitude. 

When Ms. Ella’s great-grandchildren returned home, they were astonished by the changes in their house. They looked around in awe at the new furniture and immediately went over to their great-grandmother to hug her. One of the children reflected on the true meaning of Christmas, saying, “It’s not about the presents; it’s about the love in your family.”