An Idaho man lost his leg in a freak accident while constructing his dream family home, but he had been dealing with physical disabilities for a long time. After word spread about his nearly life-long struggles, he was surprised with a $50,000 gift from a Secret Santa program. No disability can prevent a father from providing his family with the best that the world has to offer. Despite his many physical struggles as a child, Brad Crow had exactly this attitude when he began working on his dream family home.

Brad, who has two adopted children with his wife Erica, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, when he was only fourteen years old. He had to go through radiation and chemotherapy, and one of his legs had to be amputated and replaced with a cadaver bone. Years later, with his own family to raise, Brad worked hard as a construction worker before deciding to build their dream home himself. They lived in a workshop on the property while the main house was being built.

However, while working on the house one day, Brad was involved in an accident that fractured his leg. He had surgery to replace the fractured bone, but while he was recovering, he developed a staph infection that nearly killed him. As a result, Brad had to have his leg amputated, as well as a hip replacement soon after, followed by another. It was one challenge after another for Brad, who just wanted to live his life normally. “I nearly died a few times. It was quite frightening “He confessed.

Throughout all of these complications, Brad was unable to work, causing financial hardship for their family. Erica, his wife, worked full-time as a school bus driver and made as many trips as she could to cover all of their expenses. With their dream home construction halted and numerous bills to pay each month, Erica’s sister felt the Crows could benefit from some assistance and nominated them for the East Idaho News Secret Santa program.

Erica was already in tears when she noticed the East Idaho News crew outside their door. They were led inside, where everyone could see the family’s tents, makeshift tables, and coaches. When Brad and Erica unwrapped their unexpected gifts, they couldn’t help but cry. First, they opened a box that said Brad would receive free health insurance for a year, which would help the family if any complications from his injuries arose.

Then they got ready to open their big present, which was neatly wrapped inside a gift box. When Erica and Brad saw the amount written on the paper, they were taken aback. It was $50,000 to be used in the construction of their home. Brad hugged the journalists who came to see them and thanked them for their help. Erica sobbed as she stared at the piece of paper, which was more than enough to make their lives better. The family no longer needed to live inside their shop for long thanks to the money they received.

They could finally finish their dream house and live comfortably. “We’re just taking it one day at a time, and today is an awesome day,” Brad told reporters. Erica couldn’t help but praise her husband, whom she praised for being so strong in the face of adversity. Whenever she felt down, her husband, Brad, would pick her up and remind her that everything would get better. Thanks to a generous Secret Santa, they finally had a fresh start. Even after the journalists had left, Erica couldn’t stop herself from thanking them.

Their family was truly blessed, according to her, and the greatest blessing was that Brad was still with them. She stated: “Brad’s life has already been saved by the Lord several times, so he is still with us. We have all of our basic needs met, as well as a few minor desires.” She also stated that her heart used to break every time Brad apologized for causing so much trouble for their family, and that if he died, they’d be able to collect his life insurance and live better lives.\

Erica stated that she and her children would give up everything and live in a tent if it meant continuing to live with Brad. Despite everything they’ve been through, Erica’s words show how much she loves and values Brad. They remain optimistic that life will improve, and it has.