No matter how much we plan things in life, it’s full of surprises. Things can change for the better but they can also change for the worse when we least expect it. Unfortunately, one father from Ashton, Idaho learned this the hard way when his wife suddenly died in 2018.
One day in July of that year, Dakota Nelson tragically had his life — and the lives of his seven children — change forever. On a regular day, he and his late wife Ream Nelson were together in their garage. After he left briefly he came back to find her on the ground unconscious.
Despite administering CPR while one of his sons called 911 for help, Ream slipped into a coma for a few weeks before eventually passing away in September. Suddenly finding himself a single father of seven kids, Dakota had no other option but to make things work for him and his family.
He worked three part-time jobs to make ends meet but by Christmas of that year, he had a little luck. The East Idaho News surprised him one day with a Christmas gift from an anonymous Secret Santa. The gift, which totaled $10,000, would help him and his family get off the ground and allow Dakota to give his children a happy Christmas despite the hardship they were going through at the time.
Two years after the incredible Secret Santa donation, Dakota caught up with East Idaho News to fill them in on how he and his family were going and it seems they finally found their feet again.
On that day in July 2018, Dakota was spending time with his wife in their garage as they did quite often, he explained to East Idaho News. They were playing around and joking, happy to be in their home and with their seven children, who were between the ages of 1 and 16 back then. Dakota left to get a few tools, leaving his wife in the garage alone.
But upon his return, he found her on the ground not breathing. East Idaho News details that the couple’s son called 911 for help as Dakota tried to breathe life back into his wife until the fire department and paramedics arrived. But after Ream went without oxygen to her brain for almost half an hour, she slipped into a coma that lasted for a few weeks. By September of 2018, her body failed and she died while her husband was by her side.
This left Dakota with the daunting task of being a single father raising seven children on his own. While the older children could help around the house, it was more difficult with the younger kids, and Dakota found it hard being a single dad. He had to work three part-time jobs, including his work as a seminary teacher, to make ends meet.
It had been a difficult year for the family and Christmas was approaching quickly. Dakota wasn’t sure how he would provide gifts for his kids until he was blessed with the kindness of a stranger. Right around the holidays, Dakota received an incredible Christmas gift, allowing his children to have a holiday to celebrate. Dakota and his family received $10,000 worth of gifts, including a $1,000 voucher for groceries, a $1,000 voucher for Walmart and a check for $8,000.
The moment that Dakota and his family received the generous gift from an anonymous Secret Santa, the father of seven broke into tears. There is always some light in the darkness when people put their generosity and spirit into action. Dakota was at the receiving end of this generosity and his emotions speak for him
His story went viral and people all over the world felt for him and his family. This led East Idaho News to do a follow-up interview with Dakota in October of last year to see how he and his family were doing, with his kids then aged between 3 and 18.
He said that after his story went public he received friend requests on Facebook and messages of support from around the world. He even tried to answer them all but they became too many. He also went from part-time to full-time at his seminary teaching job. Still honoring Ream, Dakota’s kids sometimes say they miss their mother and that she even appears in their dreams.
What’s more, Dakota had found someone special. Becoming teary when speaking about his new partner, he revealed that her name is Abby and she’s from the Phillippines. Although she was issued a visa to come and live with them in March 2020, they weren’t able to use it because of the pandemic. The couple was then going through the process another time and hoping that Abby would be in their lives soon.
Giving his advice to anyone who might be going through a similar situation, Dakota said:
“Get those kids some toys. You know, let them enjoy part of their life still, even if they’re going through a tragedy.”
We wish Dakota and his family all the best as they continue on with their lives.