A child’s Christmas wish list floated from Mexico into Arizona—and reached a stranger who decided to answer it. In December 2018, Randy Heiss found a red balloon with a note attached. Its author was an eight-year-old girl named Dayami.
What followed brought Christmas gifts to two sisters and a deeply meaningful holiday moment to a couple who had lost their only son.
A flash of red in the grass
On December 16, Heiss was walking with his dog near Patagonia, Arizona, when he noticed the deflated balloon. A ribbon held a handwritten note in Spanish.
His wife helped translate it. The list included toys, clothes, paints, markers and a coloring book. The name Dayami gave them a starting point, but they still had to find the child behind the wishes. Source: contemporary KPHO/KTVK reporting carried by KBZK.
A radio station makes the connection
The couple tried social media without finding her. Heiss then contacted Radio XENY in Nogales, Mexico, where he thought the balloon might have originated.
The station shared the search through its broadcast and Facebook page. According to Heiss, staff located Dayami’s family within an hour. They arranged a meeting, and the couple bought the gifts they could find for Dayami and her younger sister. Source: KBZK.
A discarded-looking balloon had become the beginning of a friendship.
Arriving as Santa’s helpers
In a December 23, 2018, NPR interview, Heiss described gathering at the radio station, wrapping presents before the family arrived and introducing themselves as Santa’s helpers.
The girls even asked questions about Santa. Heiss recalled the meeting as joyful and heartwarming.
A Christmas that mattered to both families
For Heiss and his wife, sharing the celebration carried a particular sadness and joy.
Their only son had died nine years earlier. They had no grandchildren, and opportunities to share Christmas with children were missing from their lives. Heiss explained to NPR that this made the meeting especially meaningful to them both. Source: NPR’s interview with Heiss.
The presents were only part of what the families shared. Dayami’s wishes gave a stranger a reason to reach out. His response gave everyone involved a chance to enjoy the holiday together.
The balloon’s journey was a matter of chance. The kindness that followed was a choice.
Image credits
These are authentic photographs of the Patagonia Mountains in Arizona, provided as regional context. They do not show the families, the balloon or its exact discovery location.
- Patagonia Mountains, 2014, by The Old Pueblo.
- Oak woodland near Mowry, 2014, by The Old Pueblo.
Both photographs: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized for web display.