Nadia's life changed in 2007 when her little boy was run over and severely injured by a car in Manchester. Alfonso, the third of her four children, still requires surgeries to his leg.

She is hoping the Union Leader Santa Fund for the Salvation Army can make things better for her children this Christmas.

"Life is hard, really, really hard," said the tearful 39-year-old single mom. "I can't leave my kids. I can't go to school ... I have a car that is not good. Each week it breaks down."

She works odd jobs and does laundry and cleaning for others. On mornings when the clunker of a car doesn't start, she walks several miles up and down Wellington Road to work.

Her eldest daughter, Sonia, said her mother was so desperate to find a way to get more reliable transportation, she tried to contact television talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to see if she would donate a car to the family.

Asked what she thought Alfonso, now 11, would like for Christmas, she said: "A car. A real car, not a toy."

But she did say that he would enjoy playing with Transformers and Power Rangers action figures and wears pants size 5 and could use a pair or two.

Ana, age 5, is a "girly girl," Nadia said, and would enjoy princess dolls and a tea party and kitchen set for Christmas. She wears anything pink and has a boot size of 3. Winter boots and shoes would be helpful.

Nadia also has a baby boy, 1, Her face lit up as she described him as "cute." She said he would like any and all kinds of baby toys.

Sonia, 14, speaks flawless English, and enjoys shopping for herself at the Mall of New Hampshire. A gift certificate there would be a great thing, she said.

While the other kids all go to school, the baby needs to be cared for while Nadia works at $8-an-hour jobs; his care takes much of her pay, she said.

She said she is hopeful that the New Year will be better and that the phone will ring and it will be TV's Ellen.

"We are very, very poor. It's so hard," she said.

- - - - - - -

The generosity of Santa Fund donors makes it possible for the holidays to still be a joyful time. The Santa Fund makes food, clothing and gifts available during the holiday season, so financially stressed families can put their resources toward paying bills for basic needs.

Santa Fund donations may be made by sending a check to the Union Leader Santa Fund, in care of the New Hampshire Union Leader, P.O. Box 9555, Manchester 03108; or by placing a donation in the Santa Fund box in the lobby of the newspaper, at 100 William Loeb Drive, Manchester, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Donations can also be made online at www.unionleader.com/santafund.

Every effort is made to promptly publish Santa Fund contributions. Donors who wish to see their contributions listed before Christmas are encouraged to submit them as soon as possible. The Union Leader publishes photos of donors of $1,000 or more.

For more information, call Christy DeTrude at 668-4321, ext. 507.