The four children, Joseph, Hannah, Nathan and Savanna were stunned by what they saw in front of them: gifts for each one them.
What led to this early Christmas started Tuesday when the kids dropped off their letters to Santa at Fire Station 12 in Highland Park.
The kids got the idea to do this after seeing Santa ride on a fire engine during the annual Highland Park Christmas parade a few days ago.
A few hours after the kids dropped off their letters to Santa, they lost their home in a fire at their Highland Park fourplex.
The firefighters matched the address on the kids' letters to the address of the fire.
"I wasn't expecting it. I didn't think that by them doing this letter and bringing it to a fire station, so many people would reach out to show how much they care," said Nancy Paredes, the children's mother.
"I'm happy that I got all this stuff because I'm not going to be able to celebrate Christmas," said son Nathan.
Twelve-year-old Joseph's letter was simple: He just wanted to make sure his family had a good Christmas.
Joseph was too shy to read his letter out loud, so Captain Jaime Moore read it for him: "Dear Santa, My name is Joseph. I am 12 years old. This year we might not have Christmas because my mom got laid off a few weeks ago and told us there will be no Christmas for us. All I want is for my little brother Nathan, who is 7, and my little sister Savanna, who is 6, to have a nice Christmas this year."
The toys were donated through ABC7's Spark of Love toy drive. Nancy Paredes and her children are staying with relatives until they find a new place to live.
