According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of babies are born in the U.S. each year. For the vast majority of those women, pregnancy follows a routine course. And after nine months, their family grows by one.

But for some, it’s not that simple.

In 6-8% of pregnancies, women experience medical conditions connected to their health or that of their baby, resulting in what is called a high-risk pregnancy, according to the University of California San Francisco. It may seem like a relatively small number on the surface, but when you take into account the vast number of pregnancies each year, hundreds of thousands of women experience high-risk pregnancies requiring special medical care.

For one mother, this holiday season, that’s meant she had to leave her job.

A mother of four wrote to Item Santa seeking help to buy holiday gifts for her four children. The mother just recently gave birth to twins, and her high-risk pregnancy forced her into unemployment. She hasn’t worked since giving birth.

As a result, her family is “holding on by a tight strand of rope. Just barely getting by.”

“Honestly, anything will help,” she wrote. “God bless y’all.”

This family shouldn’t have to go a holiday season without celebration just because of factors entirely out of their control — and that’s where Item Santa comes in.

Now in its 57th year, the Item Santa fund helps to make Christmas brighter for those in need. To donate, clip the coupon in The Item and mail it, along with your check, to The Item Salvation Army Santa, 85 Exchange St., Lynn, MA 01901.

All donations are listed in Item print editions through the month of December and into 2024, along with a brief message from each donor, if desired.

NOTE: The application period for aid from Item Santa has closed and The Item does not process applicants. All questions about the program and distribution of gifts should be directed to the Salvation Army at 781-598-0673.