PLAINFIELD, IL — Every Christmas, thousands of houses around Plainfield are lit up by every imaginable color to celebrate the holiday season. The story behind one local house’s decorations shines extra bright.
Decorating the house — and driving around to witness the spectacle that is Christmas decorations in the area — is a holiday tradition for Anne Barnhardt and her 11-year-old son, Alex.
But this year hasn’t been like the rest. Almost a year ago to the date, Anne, who used to work as a teacher with Joliet Public School District 86, was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.
“I have just been feeling tired,” she told Patch. “My mom has gone into the nursing home; she’s been in and out of the hospital the past month. It’s just been one thing after another. This has been a very, very tough year.”
Despite the hardships, Anne said it has been “an amazing year as well. … I’ve been able to say ‘I love you’ to my son for over a year now.”
It got extra joyous last Friday when Anne received a surprise phone call from Eric Marsaglia, one of the owners of Light Up The Burbs. He surprised her with a bright gift: The company wanted to decorate her Plainfield house for the season.
Unlike in years past, this season, Anne didn’t set up a Christmas tree or display decorations like her family used to. But now, the Barnhardt family house is decorated with wreaths and pink and white lights.
Anne said getting the call from Light Up The Burbs “was amazing.”
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“My first thought was my son, and that he loves the lights,” she said. “We’ve done them in the past, and to be able to have a stranger be able to provide this for him was amazing. I’m so blessed, and I have been all year. … To come home and have my son see lights on the house has been pretty tremendous and has been a bonus this holiday season.”
Driving around and admiring Christmas lights has been one of the seasonal activities the mother-son duo have done at least once a week since Thanksgiving, she said. It’s almost kismet that that’s how Alex discovered the lights at his own home.
“My brother had taken him, and they were discussing the lights in the neighborhood,” Anne said. “My brother turned down the street and my son was like, ‘Wait a minute.’ He’s like, ‘Why do we have lights?'”
Alex echoed his mom’s sentiments, telling Patch, “It was very surprising for me, and I’m really excited. It felt nice.”
Unlike in years past, this season, Anne didn’t set up a Christmas tree or display decorations like her family used to. But now, the Barnhardt family house is decorated with wreaths and pink and white lights.
“We jumped at the chance to Light Up the holidays for Anne and her family,” Marsaglia and Office Manager Stephanie Rose told Patch in a joint statement. “It’s always rewarding to give back to our community. Plus, we already had pink holiday bulbs in stock, so we were able to install right away! We wish Anne and her family nothing but the best this holiday season.”
The surprise came about when Marsaglia reached out to the Joliet-area chapter of Pink Heals wanting to decorate the house of a family in need this holiday season. Anne has been a part of Pink Heals since she was introduced to the nonprofit after being diagnosed.
“When we were contacted by Eric and he told me what he wanted to do, I cried thinking about how awesome this would be for one of our Pink Heals families,” Pink Heals President Angie Caldwell told Patch. “I immediately thought of Anne. I know that she is struggling, going through her treatments and how difficult that is by itself, but she has mentioned to her family how she really wanted her house to be lit up for Christmas for Alex. No matter what she is going through, she wants her son to be happy.”
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