Local girl flooded with Christmas cards after loss of dad

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC. (WRDW/WAGT) - “This really meant a lot to my daughter. A simple card with a stamp on it really meant a lot,” Alyssa Deterra said.

Her daughter, 8-year-old Aubrey, had her first Christmas without her father. So her mom found a way to help her cope.

“Christmas was going to be very hard for her. But every day she got happier and happier, every day she got mail,” Deterra said.

A simple message posted in a North Augusta Facebook group asking if anyone would exchange Christmas cards with her daughter. And the response was overwhelming.

“She’s at 197 cards,” Deterra said. That’s 197 and counting.

“She got 34 yesterday and they keep coming. I got 44 yesterday. Oh, was it 44? It was 44 yesterday,” Deterra said.

She says the cards have helped Aubrey smile and laugh during a difficult time.

“It makes me really happy to see all of these people sending me cards,” Aubrey said.

And they’re not just from people here in the CSRA.

“I think she got a card from every state except South and North Dakota, Maryland and Delaware,” Deterra said.

Some included things like cardinals which remind Aubrey of her dad.

“A lot of people told their stories about how they lost family members to COVID, and that she wasn’t alone. I think it really helped her understand that it does happen to everybody,” Deterra said.

And her mom says gestures like these bring people together.

“Its’ really nice to me in a time where I felt so alone that we weren’t alone, and a lot of people actually cared. Because I’m the type of person that will try and do nice things for complete strangers. To know that all these people did the same for my daughter is really heartwarming,” Deterra said.

They plan to continue this new tradition to help other kids in need.

“Especially since I’ve realized the pages that have outlets for children to receive cards just to lift up their spirits for anything that they’re going through that we can do that for other kids,” Deterra said.

“It’s really heartwarming to see them say that to me,” Aubrey said.

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