Local Christmas story.. thought I'd share

huntingirl89 · 12-11-2007, 08:55 PM

Holiday Hero; Stranger Pays for Woman's Gifts

Reported by: Jeff Saperstone
Email: jeffsaperstone@fox23news.com
Videographer: M. Wickham
Last Update: 10:28 pm [/align][/align]

[/align][/align]Now for a remarkable story of generosity.A man pays for a woman's Christmas gifts in line at the Wal-Mart in Latham. The two had never met. The man didn't even stay long enough to give his name. Now that Cohoes woman is calling him an angel for helping her help others this holiday.

Look underhertree and you'd think all these presents were for pat marciano's children. Well, Pat doesn't have childen. Every Christmas she buys toys, clothes and games for families in need.

Marciano said, "Everybody out there needs so much."

This time, it's a family with five girls and two boys who lost their home in Albany and now has very little.

Marciano said, "They don't have a lot, they really don't have a lot. And they wanted name brand stuff."

So Pat, who doesn't have much herself made it a mission to get these kids what they'd never had. One of the girls really wanted a crown.

Marciano said, "Even if I had to take back my cat food I bought last week I was gonna get her this crown."

In the days before Pat was to get the gifts she prayed she could pay for them all. Well it appears her prayers were answered inside a Wal-Mart store in Latham.

Marciano said, "And when the check didn't clear I told her please try again. And she did and it didn't clear. And I told her it wasn't meant to be."

But maybe it was. Pat had no idea the man right behind her in line was about to change everything.

Marciano said, "This gentleman just said, mam I'm going to pay for your Christmas."

Jeanne Plew said, "He handed me the money and said Merry Christmas. JEFF: And that's it? That's it."

Marciano said, "I almost passed out. My knees went weak I almost crumbled, the lady propped me up."

Plew said, "I believe it was a Christmas angel."

That Christmas angel paid for one hundred dollars worth of gifts. Gifts that mean the world to Pat.

Marciano said, "I wanted to say thank you for making they're Christmas because this is the one thing I really wanted to do for these people this year."

In fact he was so generous after he paid for the gifts, he bought the Salvation Army Volunteer outside a hat and gloves.
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x-mountie · 12-11-2007, 09:18 PM

The spirit of Christmas is alive and well in a lot of people all over the world. That is a fantastic C/mas story !! Let's try and share that spirit !!! A riend of mine who i waorked closely with playes Santa to a group of villages in remote area of NewFoundland. He is sponsored by Air Canada and a few others. Each Christmas they fly him to these remote areas to pass out gifts yo the kids. A couple of years ago he was in the same situatiomn as the guy you talked about. He pu8lled out a credit card and paid for her gifts. The teller looked at him funny - till the card wwent through - it was in the name of "Santa Clause" !!

Zdeerslayer · 12-11-2007, 10:49 PM

Wow, thats right down the street from me.

KansasBBD · 12-11-2007, 11:04 PM

that is awesome! If only there were more people in the world like this

AmateurHunter44857 · 12-11-2007, 11:46 PM

Amazing, the spirit and message of Christmas is so strong yet its being torn down all across this country. Politcal Correctness is truly the anti-christ.

huntingirl89 · 12-12-2007, 10:03 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Zdeerslayer

Wow, thats right down the street from me.

In that case you're not very far from me. I'm about an hour's drive away, but am in Albany all the time taking patients there to St. Peter's and Albany Med. This time of year I'm going more and more frequently to the VA as well.

There is also another local Christmas story worthy of some mention. A couple weeks ago I responded to a fully involved structure fire with a woman trapped inside. She suffered 3rd degree burns to her hands, face, and severe burns to the inside of her mouth, nose, throat and lungs. Basically she breathed in the flame. They didn't expect her to make it, and her only son hasn't left her side in 3 weeks.

A lot of local people, including my fire company has put together donations and brought them down to her son, but it just didn't seem to be enough. The family's dentist, a few towns over, called us and asked how to reach her son. We gave her the necessary numbers and she called andgave her house that she has been tryingto sellto them to use as long as they wish, she lives in another house right next door to her business. Truly a wonderful woman, but what makes the story even better is that yesterday, she opened her eyes for the first time. She cannot speak because she has multiple tubes inserted through a trache, but she motioned that she wanted to get up. She took 2 full steps before getting weak and had to sit back down. I plan on making another visit to her soon, and am truly happy at the progress she has made.

Zdeerslayer · 12-12-2007, 03:36 PM

That's great to hear that she is doing well, it's sad to hear such stories. Yea I go to college at Siena Collegein Loudonville, which is 5 min outside Albany, and about 10 min from the Wal-Mart that the orginal story took place at.

Also, I never noticed your location, but that wouldn't happen to be Andes, NY? because I know I've seen that phrase on their town signs. I belong to a hunting camp in the area.