A single mom who spent six months using relative’s cars to get to work after hers broke down cried tears of happiness when her bosses gifted her a new ride at the company’s holiday party.
Jamie San, who works at Sweet Dough Bake Shop, in High Point, North Carolina, has been a stellar member of staff, owner Traci Thompson said.
Jamie has worked for the company since they opened their first location five years ago, and in that time, she has only missed one day of work through sickness.
Over the past six months, though, Jamie had been experiencing car troubles, and to support her three children she had been borrowing her kids’ grandma’s car to get to and from work.
The instability and constant car troubles were tough and in the past Jamie also had to overcome cancer and a heart attack.
Still, she never complained and still made it work every day, and with the holiday season approaching, Traci and her husband, Ray, started looking into the possibility of helping Jamie out by surprising her with a much-needed new ride.
Having purchased a Toyota Hylander from a local dealership, the couple decided to plan the surprise for the company’s holiday party.
But on the day itself, Jamie experienced a familiar problem: she called Traci in tears to say that she might not be able to make the party, as the car she was borrowing had a flat tire.
Want more good news? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter - Smileworthy. It's a weekly 5-minute read packed with uplifting stories, positive news and tips for living life more Happily. Oh, and it's free!
Her colleagues were quick to step in, with the manager of the shop driving 30 minutes each way to pick Jamie up, before staff played a series of games and ate dinner together.
As it was time to then leave, on December 14, Traci called Jamie and her kids up to get a gift and when they opened it together, they saw a set of keys.
With her coworkers cheering, an emotional Jamie wiped away tears, and she received a loving hug from everyone around her.
The family then headed outside, where Jamie saw in her new car, a smile beaming across her face.
Traci said: “Jamie has worked for us since we opened our first location five years ago.
“She is so reliable, has called out one time in five years, and that was because she was in the hospital.
“Jamie has beaten so much – she has had cancer, a heart attack and just every day struggles of being a single mom – and seeing her open it and her reaction was the best Christmas present anyone could have ever given me.
“No one deserves it like she does.
“The best Christmas present is what you can do for someone that needs it more than you.
“There is always someone you can help somewhere somehow.”
