ARVADA, Colo. — An 11-year-old girl penned a letter to Santa filled with heartache, asking him to stop her “sadness” after losing her father and grandmother in a house fire over the summer.
Brooklynn Alexander, 11, wrote her Christmas wish and dropped off her letter in Santa’s mailbox, located on the corner of Harlan Way and 76th Avenue in Arvada.
Amber Klein built the mailbox to ensure Santa received every letter written by kids in Arvada before Christmas.
“Every night, I send the letters off to Santa,” Klein said.
While helping Santa read through the letters, Klein came across Brooklynn’s wish, a heartfelt letter raw with pain.
“Santa, I’ve been suffering from depression and my anger issues have been bad lately. So, what I am trying to say is – I shouldn’t get presents and can you please stop my sadness,” Klein read in the letter.
In July, a fire tore through Alexander's home, killing her father and grandmother. A neighbor rescued Alexander from inside. She was put on a ventilator and spent more than a week at the hospital.
The pain and anguish Alexander feels brought memories of Klein’s dad rushing back.
“My dad passed away in a house fire and I just immediately wanted to protect her,” Klein said.
Klein took to Facebook to track down Alexander. It didn’t take long for the two families to bond.
“I told her about my dad and how he died,” Klein said. “I showed her the necklace that I wear that has my dad’s ashes in it and now Brooklynn wants the same thing.”
Two lives, decades apart, found each other as Alexander learns to navigate her pain.
“I feel like whether it be my dad or Brooklynn’s dad, that they brought us together,” Klein said.
Through tears, Alexander says Klein's story gives her hope that life will get better.
Alexander has since written a second letter to Santa. Her wish list includes a body pillow, fluffy socks and a paint-set with watercolors. She's also asking for letters from the public to help bring joy back into her life.
“It’s just really fun seeing letters from people that I don’t even know cause even though they don’t even know me, they care about the situation,” Alexander said.
You can drop off or mail letters for Alexander at the following address: 7599 Harlan Way Arvada, CO 80003.