Grieving mother gets a touching Christmas surprise (10 photos)

For Liz Eddy, it’s comforting to know one or more secret elves is thinking of her during this very difficult season.

“He or she have been angelic and so meaningful to me, and fun,” Eddy said. 

This Christmas is the first for Eddy without her youngest son, Will Duma, who died in a car crash in February near Chalk River.

During the early hours of Dec. 14, Eddy, a Richards Landing resident, stepped outside to walk her dog and noticed a small tree, her first gift by her back door.

“I was half asleep and thought ‘How did that tree get there?” Eddy said adding she noticed the tree was in a pot wrapped with flannel along with a single partridge and some berries in the tree. “I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry wanting to do both at the same time.”

A small tag attached read: “On the first day of Christmas 2014.”

“Whoever the elves are have gone above and beyond in terms of creativity,” she said. “It’s fantastic.”

It’s possible the secret Christmas elf or Christmas angel may be a family or a group of people. 

“But, whoever it is seems to understand how difficult it is for me to get into the spirit of the holiday this year,” she said.

Eddy commends her elves for the trouble they have gone to and the ideas they have come up in portraying the 12-days of Christmas. 

• Day 1 - A partridge in a pine tree.
• Day 2 - Two turtle chocolates
• Day 3 - Six farm eggs with a message in French. 
• Day 4 - An onion bag with a block of suet.
• Day 5 - Five glazed donuts.
• Day 6 - A down-filled pillow.
• Day 7 - Coloured pictures of swans along with a jar of Himalayan bath salt. 
• Day 8 - 1L of egg nog.
• Day 9 - Cut out ballerinas strung on garland.

“It’s exciting and unexpected to see what will come next,” Eddy said adding she has no idea who the secret elf or angel might be. “I don’t want to out my secret elf. I am not spying on them or trying to guess, just let it be. It’s such a wonderful surprise every day.”

Eddy said she admires the creativity that her angel or angels have come up with and is excited to see what comes next for the remaining days of Christmas - 10 lords a leaping, 11 drummers drumming and 12 pipers piping.

A Facebook page has been established in memory of her son, Do It For Duma, and after the holidays, Eddy will post her photos of the gifts received.

“I really feel it’s a great tribute to my son,” she said. “It couldn’t be better.”

Duma, a first year Algonquin College student was studying mechanical engineering technology.

He was a passenger in a vehicle with four others enroute to the Island for Reading Week when tragedy struck Feb. 14 of this year. 

The vehicle was sideswiped by a transport.

Duma along with the driver were killed.

“I think of Will all the time,” she said. “He loved Christmas.”

Eddy described her son as a typical teenaged boy. He was well-known and active in the community he called home for the past five years. 

Duma could be seen on his bike or skateboard and was a good skier.

“Will was well-liked because he was a nice kid,” Eddy said, adding her son was a like-able kid and always friendly.

Someone in the community has definitely given her an hour of wonder each time they have left something at the door. 

“Whether its a secret elf or secret angel, he or she, they or them are doing beautiful things in the community,” she said. “Whoever it is, I just want to thank them for bringing a little joy into my life. It’s been so difficult for me. Will was my baby son. I still feel he is away at college and cannot believe he is not coming home. I have been so sad and these little treasures have helped me. I cannot thank whoever they are enough.”