MAPLE SHADE — The day a mother’s two young boys were taken away from her was the same day she decided to turn her life around.
Her grandmother received custody of her sons, but the mother’s rights to her children were suspended.
“That’s what it took for me to get sober,” the mother wrote to the Give A Christmas fund, co-sponsored by the Burlington County Times and the Willingboro Rotary. “I worked so hard, harder than I ever have in my life, but I was blind to what I was doing to them.”
The mother, who lives in Maple Shade, became addicted to drugs after being prescribed heavy medications for injuries sustained in a car accident. Now, she’s proud to say she’s been clean for almost a year and earned back custody of her sons.
But challenges still remain for the family. That’s why the mother is asking for help from Give a Christmas to give her boys the holiday they deserve.
“I am on a fixed income and just about all of my money goes to bills so we can have a home, food, hot water and electricity,” the mother wrote. “I know that money and toys don’t make up for the things I’ve done, and I will never stop trying to fix things.”
Since 1968, the Give A Christmas fund has collected and distributed $3 million to thousands of local families who’ve fallen on difficult times. Now in its 51st year, the annual campaign aims to help needy families make the season bright for their children.
For more information or to donate towards the $70,000 goal, visit stories.usatodaynetwork.com/burlingtonchristmas.