Dying wife asked Secret Santa for help surprising her husband—they did with a gift worth $15,000 after her demise
Come the holiday season, everyone plans to give their loved ones the best gift possible. Carefully outlining what they need and what they deem fit, people go all out to render the perfect Christmas gift. A woman named Kjerstin Cook, too, planned to give her husband, Dustin Cook, a thoughtful present this Christmas, per PEOPLE. Unfortunately, the woman, suffering from ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) passed away in February. Nevertheless, Kjerstin ensured her partner would receive the gift as intended during the festive season. She wrote a letter to a local Secret Santa and the contents pushed them to deliver a $15,000 tear-jerking gift, as per East Idaho News.
Kjerstin wrote a letter that moved people to such an extent that the outlet couldn’t help but reveal that never in 10 years had they received such a nomination. The letter read, “Dear Secret Santa, I realize getting a nomination in February is unusual, but unfortunately, I won’t be around in December, so hopefully, you will consider the request.” She added that over the last four years, her health significantly deteriorated to the extent that she needed full-time care. “I’m a quadriplegic and I can’t eat regular food. After years of specialist after specialist and every test they could think of, I finally got a diagnosis of ALS," she noted.
The woman mentioned that the doctor had given her 3 to 6 months to live and being in the fourth month in February, she knew she wouldn’t make it for another Christmas. She chose to “nominate” her husband and shared how he supported her and stuck throughout. The woman added that Dustin came through for everything — cooking, cleaning, finances and all of it. “And he does it in a way to make sure I know it is not a burden and somehow makes me laugh hysterically,” Kjerstin remarked.
The letter further revealed the plans the couple had saved up for before her diagnosis. “Just fix a fence and extend the patio and get a pergola to have a little shade,” the woman wrote. However, these plans were devastatingly ruined after Kjerstin’s ALS and medical bills. “My request for Secret Santa is for Dustin to have a comfortable shady spot to read his book,” the letter concluded. She passed away a few weeks later. A friend had submitted the letter with an addition that read, “I also feel it is important to point out that Dustin continued to work on the police force serving our city during the duration of her 4-year bout with ALS,” she wrote.
It was also mentioned that Kjerstin was unable to speak and took “hours of strength” to type the nomination, letter by letter, using an iPad. Touched by the words, Secret Santa believed Dustin was worthy of this gift for all the love and effort he committedly put in. Dustin was surprised with a gift as intended by Kjerstin. After reading his wife’s letter to him, the man broke down in tears. He received a “certificate for landscaping work worth $15,000.” Dustin and Kjerstin’s dream was halfway completed with the funds and needed just a few more steps to become a reality. “I’m blessed beyond measure. I have no words to describe any of this, other than Kjerstin, this was so amazing. I’m blessed to have had her in my life for 30 years,” Dustin said, with grateful tears in his eyes.