The touch economic times have hit a Bay City mom especially hard, she shared her story on NBC25 and a young woman has come to her aid.

On Wednesday we told you about Medea Heilman and her 3-year-old daughter Rian. Medea was desperate to help her daughter who was suffering from an abscessed tooth. Her Medicaid insurance wasn’t helping and after seeing multiple dentists she was running out of options. She needed $300 to pay for the procedure and asked NBC25 viewers for help.

Emailed began to flood into NBC25 and calls from all over Mid-Michigan came in. That very first call was from a young woman who said she’d rather have nothing at all than see someone’s child suffer.

At just 20-years-old, Ashley Long of Buena Vista heard Rian’s cry for help on NBC25 and answered it. "Well I must help her - So I used my Christmas Money I was saving and that will be her Christmas gift.”

On Wednesday, Heilman felt she was running out of options. Specialists said that if the infection from the tooth entered Rian’s bloodstream that it could turn deadly. Ashley said she couldn’t let that happen. "I wouldn’t want anyone’s kid going through that and you know every mother needs her daughter.” Heilman told Ashley “I was so afraid I was going to lose her - if it wasn’t for you I could have - thank you so much you’ve saved her."

Heilman calls Ashley a blessing sent from heaven and Ashley isn’t alone. When word got out that Rian’s life was at risk hearts in Mid-Michigan opened up. "To everybody that has called, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart."

The abscessed tooth is scheduled for extraction Monday morning. For little Rian, it’s the pain of a toothache taken away and for her mom it’s an answered prayer. "Just the thought that you guys used your Christmas money to save my daughter that is so touching and more than I could ever thank you - ever."

In addition to the help from Ashley Long, a Bay City dentist, Dr. Santoro, has also come forward and says she’ll be doing the tooth extraction free of charge and the $300 will go to help bring little Rian’s teeth all up to date and repaired.