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title: Layaway Miracle: Donor Pays Off 150 Accounts at Toys R Us
description: She spent $20,000 to clear 150 accounts
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# Best Person Ever Pays Off Everyone's Layaway Bill at Toys 'R' Us

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by 

[Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/)


## Sarah Begley


Dec 12, 2014 7:03 PM UTC

by 

[Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/)


## Sarah Begley


Dec 12, 2014 7:03 PM UTC

Santa is real, and she’s a woman.

[A donor](http://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-visits-toys-us-pays-off-everybodys-layaway/story?id=27545537) visited a Toys ‘R’ Us location in Bellingham, Mass., on Wednesday and paid off more than 150 layaway accounts, to the tune of $20,000, the Milford _Daily News_ reports. While she has elected to remain anonymous, she is reportedly an older, bubbly, local resident and told an employee that she would “sleep better at night” with all the accounts paid off.

We just hope she didn’t forget her milk and cookies before leaving.

\[[_Milford Daily News_](http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20141211/NEWS/141219023)\]

_Read next:_ [_5 Times People Actually Saved Christmas_](http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/12/25/5-times-people-actually-saved-christmas/?xid=time%5Freadnext)

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