A valley mother and her son have had a big holiday surprise as they prepare to spend their first Christmas together.
A few days before Christmas, for Santa’s assistants, every second counts.
Eric Ford and his friends spent 36 hours wrapping presents and putting them in bags. On Thursday afternoon, he loaded three bags full of toys onto a truck.
“Everything for a kid,” Ford said.
All for a child and his mother, in front of the ABC15 cameras, but also for other families. Ford did all of this to honor his friend.
“I asked a friend if he knew anyone who needed anything this year and the friend gave me their name and phone number,” Ford added.
Ford’s friend Alan Ram started giving gifts to needy families years ago. But, in 2017, Ram died in a plane crash near Falcon Field in Mesa.
So shortly after, Ford had a thought.
“I will not let Christmas go by any longer, for the families who would have had this opportunity, just because he is gone,” Ford added.
It’s Ford’s sixth Christmas delivering to people like 4-year-old Annias and her mother Mercedes Curiel.
“It was shocking. I didn’t expect so many gifts. I’m very grateful,” Curiel said.
Curiel knew the gifts were coming, but not Annias. She says he loves almost anything Paw Patrol or Monster Truck related.
Curiel and her son have been estranged for a few years as she battled custody. She and little Annias reunited in October.
“He hasn’t smiled that much in a while. [It’s] the first smile I’ve seen in a while. Surely the bigger one next to him is coming home,” Curiel added.
The first Christmas of Curiel and his son, together, for a long time…
“It’s going to be so special. More than anything I’ve ever known. That kid in there? He’s my world. Without him I lose everything, I lose my purpose in living,” Curiel added.
Ford continues to fulfill his wish to keep his friend’s legacy alive.
“It’s that first excitement and love of human kindness and someone who’s in your own town,” Ford added.
Ford also donated beds and mattresses for Curiel and her son. Plus, he also gave them groceries and a $250 gift card.