HARTFORD, Conn. -- A single mother whose son survived a shooting got to go to on a shopping spree Tuesday to buy him Christmas gifts -- and the Hartford Police Union picked up the tab.

“In the beginning, it was very, very rough, because for me and my five children, I didn't know what I was going to do,” September Chatfield said.

She said the months since her 7-year-old son, Tyrek Marquez, was shot during the West Indian Pride Parade over the summer have been difficult. She said she lost her job because she had to stay by his bedside day and night.

Struggling to make ends meet, she said she needed help buying Christmas gifts.

“I reached out to several organizations, and with the economy being so bad like it is right now, there wasn't a lot of help,” Chatfield said. “But when I received the phone call yesterday I was excited.”

She said the police union stepped forward with a $500 shopping spree through the Help an Elf program.

“I thought it was the perfect opportunity to help Ms. Chatfield out this time, in her time of need,” said Sgt. Richard Holton, the vice president of the Hartford Police Union.

“They are going to make Christmas for my children,” Chatfield said.

Two of her children even got a head start, she said. She said they received bikes from an anonymous donor.

Armed with her $500, she headed to Wal-Mart Tuesday to fill a cart with goodies. She said the gifts of choice for her daughters were Bratz dolls and her sons were remote-controlled cars.

“Every kid’s dream is to open a gift on Christmas, and they made it possible for us,” Chatfield said.

More good news, she said, is that Tyrek is recovering and doing occupational and physical therapy. He also returned to school full time this month, she said.