Eddie Vedder and hundreds of others stepped into the shoes of Santa for a family who otherwise would have gone without gifts for their six children.
Thanks to the generosity of strangers, mother Tyshika Britten and her family woke up Christmas morning to a beautiful tree surrounded by presents in spite of a challenging year full of financial hardship.
The 36-year-old hairdresser just ahead of the holidays turned to Craigslist, asking anyone who stumbled across her ad for some help in making her family’s holiday a little brighter.
“I am a mother of six, 5 boys and 1 baby girl,” she wrote, detailing how her family was facing eviction from their Maryland home. “I’m so hurt. I’m trying my best. I pray every day and now I’m begging for help. I know it’s not about the gifts, but they are kids! I’m such a failure right now… please help me.”
In the days after Britten’s Craigslist plea was posted, scores of gifts including a Kindle Fire, a PlayStation 4, stuffed animals and dolls were delivered to her home, according to the Washington Post. Someone also dropped off a puppy that they named Phoenix.
Even Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder got in on the giving — he sent the family a check for $10,000.
“I was just so moved by the story and what this mother did for her children,” the frontman said. “I thought those kids must be so proud of their mother for reaching out. That takes a lot of courage.”
Still though, some online critics blasted Britten for exposing her struggles and embarrassing her family.
“I’m not exposing my family,” she told the Washington Post. “I’m exposing how a lot of people have to live. There are people all over this country who have the same problems we have. This is real life.”
Britten continued on to admit she has her share of regrets, but her online plea for help isn’t among them.
Thanks to the ad, the family now has new hope — in addition to Vedder’s check and the overwhelming amount of gifts, a GoFundMe page set up in wake of the viral Craigslist post has netted nearly $18,000, something the mother called “a head start.”
“I am a proud mother of six,” she said. “I love my children and I will take care of them, and I will get them what they need, any way I can. This year, they got everything they wanted.”
