An Idaho man lost his leg in a freak accident while building his dream family home, but he had long suffered from physical disabilities. After people heard about his near lifelong struggles, he received the colossal sum of $50,000 through a Secret Santa program.
No disability can stop a father from giving his family the best this world has to offer. For Brad Crow, that was precisely his disposition when he started working on his dream family home despite the many physical hardships he had to endure growing up.
Brad, who shares two adopted children with his wife Erica, was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called osteosarcoma when he was just fourteen. He had to undergo treatments, such as radiation and chemotherapy, and even had to have one of his legs removed and replaced with a cadaver bone.
Years later, with his own family to raise, Brad worked hard as a construction worker and finally decided to build his dream home himself. They lived in a workshop on the property while they finished building the main house.
But one day, Brad had an accident while working in the house, breaking his leg. He underwent surgery to replace the fractured bone, but as he slowly recovered he developed a staph infection that nearly claimed his life.
As a result, Brad had to have his leg amputated, and he also underwent hip replacement surgery soon after, and another later. It was one challenge after another for Brad, who wanted nothing more than to live his life as normal. “I almost died several times. It was pretty scary,” he admitted.
During all these complications, Brad found himself without a job, which caused financial difficulties for his family. His wife Erica worked full time as a school bus driver and tried to make as many trips as possible to cover all their expenses.
With construction on their dream home halted and many bills to pay each month, Erica’s sister felt the family would need help, so she nominated the Crows for the Secret Santa program.
Erica was already in tears when she saw the East Idaho News crew outside their door. They were brought inside, where the family’s tents, makeshift tables and coaches were on display for all to see.
Brad and Erica couldn’t help but cry as they unwrapped their unexpected gifts. First, they opened a box stating that Brad was to receive free health insurance for an entire year, which would help the family in the event of any complications resulting from his injuries.
Then they prepared to open their major gift, neatly wrapped in a gift box. Erica and Brad were in disbelief when they saw the amount written on the paper. It was $50,000 to use to build their house.
Brad embraced the reporters who visited them, expressing his gratitude for their kind service. Erica was sobbing as she continued to stare at the piece of paper, which was more than enough to improve their lives.
With the money they received, the family no longer needed to live in their store for long. They could finally continue to build their dream house and live comfortably.
“We’re just taking it one day at a time, and it’s been a great day,” Brad told reporters.
Erica couldn’t help but congratulate her husband, who she said had been so strong despite everything he had to face. Whenever she felt down, her husband, Brad, would pick her up and remind her that everything would get better eventually.
They finally got a fresh start, thanks to a generous Secret Santa. Even after the reporters left, Erica couldn’t help but continue to express her gratitude to them. To her, their family was truly blessed, and their greatest blessing was that Brad was still with them. She says:
“The Lord has saved Brad’s life many times before, so we always have him with us. We have all our basic needs met plus a few little wants. »
She also mentioned that her heart breaks every time Brad apologizes for causing so much trouble for their family and that if he died they could touch his life insurance and live better. Erica said she and their children would give up everything and live in a tent if it meant being able to continue living with Brad.
Erica’s words show how much she loves
