Amanda and Heather do the ‘three-peat’ (5 photos)

Sault Moms Amanda Johnston and Heather Hilderley-Phillips, for the third consecutive year, delivered Christmas gifts Dec. 23 to children and their parents spending the holiday in Sault Area Hospital’s paediatric wing and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Amanda and Heather, who have experienced the heart-wrenching reality of caring for their own children as they suffered health issues, raised $8,361 at their One Stop Christmas Show and Silent Auction Nov. 26 at Quattro Hotel and Conference Centre, with funds raised from the silent auction portion of the show used to purchase Christmas gifts to cheer sick children and their parents at SAH.

Next year’s One Stop Christmas Show and Silent Auction is already booked for Nov. 25, 2018, Amanda wrote in an email to SooToday. 

With the money raised from this year’s silent auction, Amanda and Heather purchased gifts at Walmart, POI Business Interiors and Best Buy.

From there, Amanda and Heather wrapped the gifts, and, with the help of Santa Claus, delivered them to six children, one new baby and a Mom on bed rest in this year’s heroic and compassionate gift delivery.

Amanda and Heather know the need for sick children and their parents to be remembered at this time of year.

Amanda’s daughter Brooke was born at 25 weeks in November 2008 and weighed a pound and 13 ounces.

Amanda spent 176 days at a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in London, Ont. with Brooke, away from most of her family and friends at Christmas, touched by the generosity of people who purchased gifts for she and her daughter while in London.

Brooke is now nine years old and doing well, Amanda said.

Heather’s daughter Penelope, now five years old, suffered from respiratory problems and endured a hospital stay in Ottawa, but she too is feeling better, Heather told us.