HOUSTON – Every year, KPRC 2′s Spencer Solves It Team brings Christmas cheer to families in need around the Houston area with Christmas Miracles Week. After a detailed search this year, we’ve found five families deserving of a little help this year.
Just days before Christmas, Abiella Fuentes is trying desperately to bring some Christmas joy to her two beautiful children, 3-year-old Sophia and 5-year-old Ayvin.
The three of them are making their own Christmas decorations by hand, not because they’re crafty, but because they can’t afford to buy decorations or gifts this year.
“I just felt like a huge failure. Like I did wrong by them as a mother,” said Fuentes.
For the last year, she’s tried to piece the shattered fragments of her once, happy life back together.
You see, her husband Gerardo was murdered along with his best friend. Both of their bodies were burned beyond recognition.
“It was believed he was shot multiple times, but it was never confirmed. He was placed in the backseat of BJ’s car. BJ was placed in the trunk,” Fuentes tells us. “They set it on fire.”
Two people were charged with the husband’s murder.
Fuentes went from being a devoted wife, mother, and corrections officer at the state prison, to suddenly becoming an unemployed, single mom. She said she could no longer work with convicted killers behind bars and is now struggling to provide for her two children.
“We were making it,” she said. “We love each other a lot.”
To help the family make it through Christmas, Bill and the Spencer Solves It team, with the help of Innovative Lasers of Houston owner Laura Alexis and Academy Sports, is jumping into action.
“On behalf of myself and Innovative Lasers of Houston, I would like to present this check for $1,500, so you can buy a Christmas tree and ornaments and presents for your beautiful children,” Alexis said.
“Oh my gosh, thank you so much. This literally saves, saves it all,” Fuentes said. “Thank you!”
Each of the kiddos got a new bicycle and a $1,000 gift card to use at Academy Sports.
“I didn’t know how I was going to do it this year and this is just the biggest break we’ve had all year. I can finally take a breath,” Fuentes said.
Unfortunately, for our “Christmas Miracles” series, the Spencer Solves It team is working to help several families this holiday season, but we’ve already chosen the families from the hundreds of emails received.