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Madeline Lillis, the oldest of three children, was raised by a single parent in Southern Illinois

The 30-year-old recalls growing up “broke” and participating in the Angel Tree Program around Christmastime

In a viral TikTok with more than 12 million views, Lillis weighed in on donor responsibility

Growing up in a single-parent household with a younger sister who had “severe special needs,” Madeline Lillis recalls her family being constantly overwhelmed by medical bills, leaving them, in her words, “dirt poor.”

As a result, the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program became an essential part of their holiday season.

“My family didn’t always have the means for Christmas gifts. Angel Tree didn’t fix our finances, but it softened Christmas for my sisters and me,” Lillis tells

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