On Sunday, the Sabolenko family returned to their Long Island home to find their kitchen flooded, and all their Christmas gifts stolen. The water damage and the missing TVs, X-Box, and computers totaled $5,000. "It's just wanting to do damage," Detective Brian McMenemy tells Newsday. "Some people aren't feeling the Christmas spirit." To put it mildly! But Seaford resident John Theissen, of John Theissen's Children's Foundation, couldn't let the injustice stand, and gave the kids gifts and a check for $5,000. "This shouldn't happen," he said. "This is something I had to do."
Cheri Sabolenko, along with her 10-year-old son Mathew and 12-year-old daughter Madison, were ecstatic that their Habitat for Humanity-built home in North Bellport would be repaired and that the holiday was saved. "We thought we were going to have a bad Christmas," Madison says, "But it turns out we're going to have a really good Christmas." One person not having a good Christmas? The Grinch, who is blamed in every media account of this. The Grinch gave the presents back, remember? It's a story of redemption. These thieves were just assholes. Will no one think of the Grinch?
