yes,I would have to agree with the gentleman above stating that Guys have money issues too!My sitution is much different thatn the girl who just won 25,000.00!You see Iam a Paitner in the union and recently was told no work until two surgeries done(dec 10)meanwhile my family suffers.We have four kids and my wife is been laidoff too.We have been budgeting all we can but we are living off 150.00 a week,it sounds good until...house opayment,car payments,insurance payments,electric,gas,heta,food and to top it I have figue out how to dress four kids for sub0temps and Christmas is right around the corner.Plus my wife had to give up her wedding ring,2rings from grandmother,1 necklace and an XBOX 360 just to feed our family for 1 week,we are in terrible need.Plz hear a man cry for help!Thanks-My wife is your biggest fan!Riley Lessard

Thank goodness for you Ellen. Hi there all the way from the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

I've been trying to form a letter in my head for days, but after watching todays show I knew I had to just email you or I would never get that letter to you.

I am one of the lucky one's who can afford to stay at home with my three children (3,2,and 14 weeks) while my husband earns a living and get by comfortably enough. We don't go out or buy extravagant items we just live within our means and get by. I also have wonderful family close by that give us much needed time out whenever we ask, so why am I writing this letter? I know you would get thousands of letters a week, but I just wanted to say I love watching you giving struggling family's a helping hand and a generous one at that, if only there were more Ellen's who would use their status the way you do...Keep it going.

Best wishes for you, your staff and Portia for the coming silly season.

Andrea Kidd

Please Read my story: I love you and the rest of your crew! You guys are so amazing n funny. Never fails watching Monday thru Friday even when I have to dvr it to end up laughing my butt off. Seriously who wouldnt want to lost some of the bootay laughin with Elen. Brings me to tears during the giveaways. Ive tried to share my story but how do you do that in 1500 words I have to cut out parts to make it fit. Well my life has been hard Id say since I was conceived lol but really it has. Both of my parents have their own bad stories but I love them thru it all. At the age of 14 I was in a horrific car accident, thank god I didnt end up paralyzed but I had alot of damage. Two crushed virtabraes and nerve damage from the waist down that left me in a wheelchair for 2 years and 5 years of intense therepy. After 6 surgeries and 4 c-sections I think my body has turned in its resgination. This past May 6th it was 25 years since the accident but I just realized it was the same date I almost lost my youngest child to Menegitis at 15 months old. He is now going to be 13 in January and Ive been thankful everyday that hes still here. But it wasnt sure when it happened they told us to notify our priest since it was a week in a coma and he wasnt waking up. He spent a month in the hospital since he lost the enitre use of the left side of his body. At the time of his illness I had finally completed my high school education, 10 years late but I did it. I dropped out of school during my senior year thinking I was escaping a bad situation at home only to get into another one. I had 2 children in that relationship with 4 years of physical and mental abuse. Two weeks later I met my now husband who is the best man Ive ever met. He helped raise my children with the two boys we share together. When my older two hit their teen years their dad decided to step in, which Im still trying to recover from. My daughter became a mother at 17 and my son has been in n out of jail since he turned 16. The state of NM gave him tempory custody without looking into his background which he served almost 3 years in a federal prison for drugs. All the while I was caring for my children without his help. Needless to say now I have a relationship my two oldest that is still healing. Ive loved them through the good n bad without any judgements. In 2004 my husband was deported back to Mexico with the whole ordeal taking place infront of our two young boys. Now my disabled son was traumatized by watchin his dad cuffed and removed. Nobody bothered to check if the boys had anyone to care for them, I was out of state. It took nine years for him to win his case against the INS. His case is the first to be won but from the whole deal we almost lost everything. He slowly got back to normal around his company but now with this economy we are back to that again. He has to think about 4 other families that he employs. We havent been able to pay our mortgage for 2 months. We have been struggling this past year to find work but its been slow to nothing. I completed my college courses but since I have no work history Ive had a hard time to get any work. Two weeks ago I got my first interview ever and was called back for my second. Yesterday I got the letter saying they picked another candidate. I was in tears literally. Ive always thought being disabled was a struggle every day for the past 25 years but I knew God had a reason. That reason was my son, without all my therepy to walk again I wouldnt have been able to help him. One month after his leaving the hospital he was up walking with little assistance. He wore a leg brace like mine and it took six months to stop using it. I know all my strengths I had was passed to my son. Ive always thought that I suffered enough pain and why would one of my children have to suffer. I wake up to pain n go to bed in pain, after twenty years without pain meds I had to start taking them. Ive had that thought in my mind to end my pain but the thought of my children alone I push all the thoughts aside. I have a 16 yr old now that has his permit and I havent been able to afford the cost of his drivers ed class that cost 260.00 cuz there are some days I cant get out of bed he can run to do errands for me with the help of my brother who rides with him. Both my son and I recieve disability and that comes to good use with the utilities and food. My husband agreed to pay the mortgage after we agreed to a seperation. But since he has a loss of work we loss the mortgage payment.So not only does he stress to hekp me and the boys he has the stress if 4 families also. Now the holidays are here and I dont know what to do. I remind my kids that we are blessed to have a warm bed to sleep and no gourmet dinner but we have little to fill our belly. My teen understands but my youngest thinks I can pull my cards out to pay for everything. I kills me to have my children see my breakdown with pain but Id rather have that then not be here for them. They know when I hurt to settle for ceral or noodles and get out the ice pack for me. Then they both lay in bed with me holding my hand while I cry. If I could change my life Id pass because God has blessed me with the greatest loving children. I was told I knew my life was going to have alot of pain but I chose to be born still. I never understood that but I do now. Thank you for taking the time to read this

YOU ARE SUCH A CARING PERSON! WISH THERE WERE MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU! THANK YOU FOR BRIGHTEN MY DAYS :)

HUGS

The things you do for people brings tears to my eyes every day. You are an amazing person and I am glad to have you in my life every day.

I lOVE that you had a man involved in a game. Maybe someday a real audience member? LOL :0)

Ellen, I hurt my back years ago and the best thing for a hurt back is walking, bicycling and taking extra magnesium. Hope these work for you.