Click here for updates on this story
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — After an incredibly tough year, a Twin Cities family was surprised with the “Best Christmas Ever.”
Sarena Nourse is a mother of three and a nurse. In 2019, she battled and beat stage-four bone cancer. A year and a half later, she learned the cancer returned and was now in her brain, lungs and chest. This past fall, she underwent another round of chemo and surgeries.
Her story was one of thousands received by the Twin Cities nonprofit called Best Christmas Ever. The group serves families that have fallen on hard times. This year, organizers said they received six times the usual amount of requests for help. The families that were chosen were given toys, home goods and other gifts to help make the season bright.
Dr. James Midboe, from Finish Line Wellness, helped organize the surprise.
“It’s really about showing these people that although they’re going through probably the hardest time of their life, that they’re cared for,” Midboe said.
Tuesday night, surrounded with friends and carolers, the friend who nominated Nourse’s family read the letter, and revealed dozens of wrapped gifts, thousands of dollars to help with medical bills and a new van for doctor’s appointments. Nathan Nourse said their van is not reliable, and this will be a huge relief to help the family.
This year, the family is finding strength in faith and friends. And they are thankful for the blessing along this tough journey.
“Twenty-twenty is something I don’t think any of us will ever forget,” Nourse said. “But this definitely brightens things up and brings things into perspective.”
Best Christmas Ever partners with local companies to make these surprises possible. For more information, visit bcemovement.org.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.