Since the social worker met Paul and Sally for the first time in 1998, when they were 7 and 9 years old, respectively, the brother and sister, who both have autism, have been bombarding Galaxidas with requests for the presents — and they still do even though they're now too old to receive them. (The gift boxes are distributed to children up to 12 years old.)
"They always ask `is that funny box coming?'"She says Paul and Sally have been peppering her with queries about the boxes at almost all of their weekly meetings. "They looked so forward to the (elves) coming to their door to deliver the gifts," she says. "And they always came to me in January and showed me what they got."
When Galaxidas first met the siblings and their mother, Samantha, 41, who is also developmentally delayed and functions at a Grade 5 level, it was two days past the cut-off date for requesting the Santa Claus Fund gifts.But, sensing their immense need, Galaxidas sprang to action, bringing the family to the attention of her superiors and onto the Santa Claus Fund's radar. "They said it was no problem," Galaxidas says of how everyone jumped through hoops to accommodate the family, which has always had tremendous trouble getting by.
Mother and children — their names have been changed for privacy reasons — have struggled on every possible level to secure the necessities of life and maintain basic hygiene. That's why the presents inside the Santa Claus Fund box — which include a hat, mitts, a warm top, socks, a book, candy, a toy and a toothbrush kit — are a big help.Galaxidas, who works for Catholic Family Services, was put in touch with the family more than eight years ago after the mother's husband was taken from their home in handcuffs. He had beaten her.
Struggling to get past that hardship, the family is now dealing with another tragic issue. The mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer recently and her death is imminent. Functioning at the level of a child in elementary school, she wouldn't visit a doctor for several years when she started to develop back pain, until one day a couple years ago when Galaxidas marched her to a physician's waiting room."She doesn't grasp that she's dying," Galaxidas says of the woman who looks 20 years older than her age and has diminished to waif-like proportions. "She isn't aware of the full impact on her body. She thinks she's doing better."
Right now, Galaxidas is helping secure the future of the siblings, but says when she sees them this time of year she's always reminded of how the Santa Claus Fund was able to touch their strained lives."It's very generous," Galaxidas says of the gift boxes. "It's been around for many decades and it's done a valuable service."
The Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund is aiming to raise $1.4 million to deliver gift boxes to 45,000 underprivileged children in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Ajax and Pickering.If you have been touched by the Santa Claus Fund or have a story to share please email mhenry@thestar.ca.