Francis Wong doesn't ask for anything for her family or herself this Christmas.

The 70-year-old grandmother, who adopted a grandson and became a legal guardian for one grandniece and two grandnephews, wouldn't mind a larger car to carry her family of five and her wheelchair, but that's too much to ask of the community, Lani Davis, Wong's caseworker, said.

"Anything donated is very much appreciated, but I really need a big car to get the kids and my wheelchair," Wong wrote.

Two months ago, Wong suffered a stroke that paralyzed her left side. Now the Kalihi woman is in a wheelchair but is still able to care for her children. She is able to do so because her 18-year-old grandson, who was supposed to go into the military, has agreed to stay home and help.

The other children are ages 14, 9 and 8.

"She's trying her best," Davis said. "It's hard to talk to her about things because she's always crying. She's not as independent as she wants to be."

Wong's biggest fear is that if she cannot do for her grandchildren, as she calls them, they'll get taken away from her, Davis said. Wong took over her niece's children nearly a decade ago after Child Protective Service took them from her niece, whom Wong said was in trouble with the law. With the public aid she receives, Wong is able to pay her bills and still provide the things the children need, Davis said.

"She's just not the kind to be dependent," she said. "She was doing everything on her own, taking them to the doctors, to school, and making sure they have clothes and food. It's amazing. She doesn't ask for anything for herself. Her story touches my heart."