Naperville girl gives Christmas gifts to families with children battling cancer

CHICAGO (WLS) -- During this season of giving, one West Suburban teenager raised hundreds of dollars to help families with children affected by cancer so they won't have to worry about paying for holiday gifts during the pandemic.

Four-year-old Samuel Dolcimascolo has been battling a rare form of leukemia for more than a year now.

"Samuel is going to be sedated for chemotherapy through his spine and then he's also going to receive IV chemotherapy," said Samuel's mom, Dawn Dolcimascolo, minutes before his next round of chemotherapy

Dolcimascolo stopped working to take care of her son, and the pandemic hit her family hard. But a few weeks ago, she received a message from one of Santa's helpers.

"I got a message on Facebook from a high school student Hadley Parr," Dolcimascolo said. "She basically said that she didn't want us to worry about Christmas this year. She didn't want us to worry about a single present under the tree."

That's right, 17-year-old Hadley Parr, from Naperville, found Dawn and her son on Facebook.

She took care of all of their gifts.

"I want other people to do the same, and just spread kindness and joy throughout people's lives, and that's a purpose I've found in my life is to make other people happy and just spread joy," Hadley said.

Hadley is also helping 14 other families.

And this year, Samuel is getting another surprise.

Santa Robert Oliver, who is also battling cancer, is stopping by in solidarity.

"Until you've been through it, you don't really know what it's like, and you know it's just brought us much closer together," said Santa Oliver, who met Samuel last year.

To Dawn, the love these two have shown means everything.

"To have these two people come into our lives and help us create these magical moments for my son who's been through so much this year," she said.