Woman honored for spreading cheer with holiday lights year-round

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - A woman is being honored for spreading cheer with holiday lights all year-round.

Christina Coddeington is a single mom raising her 7-year-old son Cody, who needs special care. She has custody of her 6-year-old nephew, and she’s taking care of her disabled mother, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006.

No matter the challenge, she still finds the optimism to light up the lives of those around her.

Riann Brock is the Associate Principal at Three Chopt Elementary School and drives past Coddeington’s home every day.

“I drive past her house every day on the way to work, and her house year-round has lights up for every holiday and for the Month of Kindness,” Brock said.

Coddeington said her son Cody was the inspiration behind the project.

“Cody loves them. It’s something we do in the morning. We kind of take a pass through all of them, and he throws his arms and feet up in the air and squeals, and it’s how it got started… It was really about doing something for Cody to be able to look out of the front window, and you know, feel some motivation about whatever holiday is coming up,” Coddeington said.

And the community is showing her love in return.

“A lot of the neighbors will come by, you know, with their significant others or their children, and they wave, and they honk horns, and they’ll stop and say, ‘thank you for what you do.’ And honestly, it really makes it all worthwhile. I’ve received some beautiful cards from people in the area that drive by…and I’ve kept every single one of them,” Coddeington said.

Coddeington was honored with NBC12′s Acts of Kindness, receiving $300 and a gift card to Mexico Restaurant.

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