LEHI — A grieving family preparing for the first Christmas without their 4-year-old daughter found some joy in the season by giving to others.
But the idea to donate enough presents to fill three cars didn’t materialize until Lindsey Preston — with Santa’s help — began Christmas shopping for Preston’s 8- and 10-year-old daughters this year.
“They were definitely on the nice list,” Preston said of Sloan and Lydia, with a laugh.
However, while shopping, Preston realized there was something missing — daughter Harper’s list.
“It started out rough,” Preston said. “I figured it would be a hard year. Harper passed away in April, so it’s our first Christmas without her.”
Harper was only 4 years old when an awful grinch known as brain cancer stole far more than just Christmas.
“She got it when she was 15 months … well, that’s when she was diagnosed,” Preston said.
The family put up a stocking for Harper this year and hung pictures of her on their Christmas tree.
But when it came to Christmas shopping, that was the tough part.
“I would just see something and know she would love it,” Preston said. “I wasn’t able to pick it up and buy it for her until I decided I’m just going to buy it anyway.”
So Preston bought any toy Harper would have liked.
“It all started with me just wanting to heal my heart of wanting to buy those presents,” Preston said.
While the gifts initially were for Harper, the family decided they should be donated after spending so much time at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
“The kids wake up Christmas morning with a pile of presents and a big Christmas celebration, and so I wanted to provide that for kids since Harper wasn’t here,” Preston said. “I wanted to do that for them.”
Originally, it was just the Preston family buying gifts for children at the hospital, but as other family members, friends and neighbors started hearing about the endeavor, it turned into a much bigger project.
“We ended up taking over $7,000 worth of stuff,” Preston said. “We had to drive three cars and caravan all of our stuff up there.”
“It just made the holiday season so much more joyful for us,” she said.
