Colts player helps keep Christmas alive for local family

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A Colts player is keeping Christmas alive for a Shelbyville family.

It all started after Black Friday shopping turned into a bit of a nightmare. The Diehl family has seen their fair share of trials and tribulations this year.

But this Sunday, a call from a Colts player helped ease a bit of the pain.

“It’s been a difficult road,” said father of three Matt Diehl. “We were not expecting my diagnosis in April.”

Diehl is fighting Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“For us this year, our main concern was making sure our kids had a roof over their head, that the heat stayed on, and they had food in their mouths,” said Diehl’s wife Lori. “When it came down to it, we have to keep those things for them as life necessities. ”

When their friends realized what was happening, they said many stopped by their home or mailed them gift cards so that Christmas could happen for the Diehl children.

Lori said she mapped out the places where she had gift cards and went shopping on Black Friday.

But at the last stop, she said, “I went into the last store, came out, and everything was gone. I felt like all of those people that had gone out of their way to help us in a year where things were really rough for us, I felt like I had let them down. ”

“With everything going on, there wasn't a lot of hope there,” said Matt. “We were thinking: what next do we have to put on the plate?”

At their lowest, came an unexpected high, just minutes after a Colts victory on Sunday.

“No sooner than the game was over, our phone rang. Mike McGlynn was on the phone to talk to us,” said Lori.

Colts Offensive Lineman Mike McGlynn and his wife had heard what happened to the Diehl family.

“They basically just said let us know what your needs are, and we’ll make sure you’re taken care of,” she added. McGlynn even talked to their 3-year-old on the phone.

“We just truly felt blessed and just so touched beyond words by their kindness and generosity,” Lori said.

Others also stepped up to help once again, including the IMPD officer who responded to Lori’s original call to police after she found all her presents were stolen.

The police officer loaned her a breast pump to use after hers had been taken as well.

“They took the time, and really helped us show our children, that even in times of adversity there are good people out there. That lesson for our kids, and our family, was probably the most amazing thing they could have given us, without even realizing they were doing that,” said Lori. “We hope if somebody hears our story, they could bless someone else and find somebody in their life they could reach out to. Just the difference it can make, even if it’s just a small gesture. ”

Police haven’t found yet who took the items from her car. They believe there may be clues in the surveillance video from the store.