Caruso Family Charities doubles donations to families with kids battling serious illnesses

Call it an unexpected surge of kindness. One Colorado charity says donors have been so generous this holiday, the families the charity supports are getting double this year.

Caruso Family Charities, which supports kids battling serious illness, surprised 31 families at Brent's Place in Aurora on Monday with holiday checks.

"We set record numbers on donations received, and so normally we come to Brent's Place once a year and we give the families $500 for Christmas, make sure they have spending money for trees and presents and this year, we upped it to $1000," said Jerry Caruso, co-founder of the charity.

The kids at Brent's Place are tough. Most of them are going through aggressive treatment at nearby Children's Hospital. Brent's Place is like a second home.

"Your family has a place to stay as opposed to renting hotel rooms- you know where you're gonna stay, not worrying about how long you're gonna stay," said Caruso.

It's clear Caruso is passionate about helping. Monday morning, he eagerly waited in the lobby of Brent's Place with his wife and daughter holding a stack of checks totaling $31,000.

"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!" Caruso exclaimed as he shook the hands of Breanne Wroughton and Tyler Mackey.

Wroughton and Mackey drove from New Mexico so their daughter could receive treatment for a rare form of cancer at Children's Hospital Colorado. It's been almost a year since Silvia Wroughton, 3, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and Brent's Place will be her home indefinitely.

"She's super tough, but it's really a lot for a little kid to go through," said Breanne Wroughton.

At this point, she says they have learned to ask for help and, even harder, accept help when it's offered.

"I think gifts like this, as they add up, and it means I can be out of a job for an extended period of time," said Breanne. "And we need to be with her because we don't know what the outcome will be."

Since it was formed in 2006, Caruso Family Charities has helped thousands of kids and their families. Caruso said if it can alleviate just a little holiday stress, it's worth it.

"That's what we wanna do is just help them out for the holidays," he said.

The charity works to help families year-round. For more information on how you can help, click here: https://www.carusofamilycharities.org/