The 3-year-old girl is a full-time job for her mother.

The girl has cerebral palsy and requires constant care — so her mother stays home while her father works as a technician at a local hospital. His income barely covers rent and utilities, leaving little extra money for clothes or toys for the girl and her 9-year-old sister.

This Christmas, the mother, who asked not to be identified, wants just a few presents under the tree for her girls. The younger girl would enjoy some new clothes and toys.

Her older sister is asking for clothes and a new or used small musical instrument. The two also need new shoes, preferably durable rubber sneakers.

The younger girl wears a size 3 shoe, size 4 in girls' pants and small shirts. Her sister wears a size 8 shoe, size 10 pants in girls and large shirts.

The mother said she wants her girls to be more presentable when they go to school or to community functions. Her older daughter often asks for new clothes but seldom gets them because of the family's tight finances. Some months, the family must ask for help from relatives to cover the rent or other expenses.

The woman said she wants to get a job but is unable to with a younger girl in need of sometimes intensive around-the-clock care.

To compound matters, the mother has her own medical worries.

Four years ago, the 31-year-old woman had a stroke, which has slightly affected her ability to do things. "I'm slower now," she said.

RECENT DONATIONS TO THE ADVERTISER CHRISTMAS FUND

Betty & Mae, in loving memory of Makoto & Fumiko Nagamoto — $50

CGG, Carole K., Karen N., Soni R., Joanne T., Aileen Y. and Robi S. — $300

H and A — $200

Linda Kreis — $200

Ed and Kathy Reinhart — $200

Ai, Aipa, Failla, Pahia and Sapir — $150

Evelyn and Corey Anderson — $100

Brian and Sena Bozlee — $100

Sylvia and Morris Carruthers — $100

Walter and Jeanne Davis — $100

Geneveive Goto — $100

Litheia Hall, in memory of L.B. Hall — $100

Eugene Kamimura — $100

Gregg Oishi — $100

Nancy and Patrick Sonoda — $100

Marion Vaught — $100

Dan and Renee Hartenstein — $75

Vivian M. S. Lee — $50

Ken Marume — $50

Marcus and Jeanette Rosehill — $50

Roy and Geraldine Tanimura — $50

Wallace and Karen Wong — $50

Alice Stanley and John Clark — $30

Melissa and Ryane Doi — $25

Alice Lemon — $25

Joseph and Gladys Lopes — $25

Jane and Herbert Niitsuma — $25

Rosaline Noneza — $25

Helen Shigemura, in memory of Grandma and Grandpa Ikenaga — $25

Caroline and Don Yacoe — $25

In memory of G., T., A. and M. Seo — $20

Samson Kaonohi — $20

Anonymous — $500

Anonymous — $150

Anonymous — $100

Anonymous — $50

Anonymous — $25



Total — $3,445
Previous total — $31,116
Total to date — $34,561

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.