(CNN) -- For many families, the school year just started, but for Karen Suffern, it's not too early to start planning for Christmas. The financially struggling single mother of fraternal twins recently asked her 8-year-olds to write down a list of things they would like from Santa. Suffern, who works part time as an administrative assistant for a home health care company, wanted to start budgeting for the holidays. She knew her twins, who just began third grade, were at the age where they would start asking for electronics and other expensive gifts. Her son, Ryan's, letter to Santa started off normally:
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8-year-old Ryan wrote a letter to Santa after seeing his sister being bullied at school
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Ryan's sister Amber is bullied by her peers on the bus and during class because of her weight
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Mother shared story with blogger Tony Posnanski, who posted it on CNN iReport
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Ryan's letter to Santa gained thousands of views
@placeholder, who has attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder and other mental and mood disorders, never mentioned the teasing.
"Every day when she goes to school, she says, '@placeholder, can I just stay at home?'
And Suffern says she is glad to have a selfless son like Ryan -- plus @placeholder -- watching out for Amber, too.