The arc of Tabitha Workmeister's challenging but hopeful life has been defined by her three beautiful children: 3-year-old Julian, 1-year-old Janeir and 1-month-old Amirah.

Julian is the polite, precocious oldest child who loves Thomas the Tank Engine, says thank you when Mom fixes Duncan, one of Thomas' locomotive buddies, and loves to listen to the "LullaBible" on CD, especially the fiery book of Jeremiah, which happens to be Julian's middle name.

Janeir is the newborn who's just starting to walk with confidence, which allows him to follow Julian around like a puppy and annoy his older brother by messing around with his tank-engine collection.

Amirah is the snoozing, eating, pooping newborn who's been considerate enough to sleep well at night, until lately, and who's beginning to smile.

They're great kids, but having three children in the three years since she graduated from high school has not made life easy for Ms. Workmeister, 21, who has worked as an aide at day care and personal care facilities to pay the bills while managing the kids and going to school to become an anesthesia technologist.

She's had help from her extended family, but Julian's father hasn't been around and things have been off and on with Janeir and Amirah's father, although he's great with the kids and is closely involved with them now.

Among the latest complications: Ms. Workmeister graduated in May from the anesthesia tech program at the Sanford Brown Institute in Monroeville (formerly the Western School of Health and Business), but couldn't take the TB test required to get a job in her field because she was pregnant with Amirah. So she had to wait to take the test and is now lined up to work for UPMC within the next couple of weeks.

Along the way, Ms. Workmeister has had to rely from time-to-time on Medicaid, food stamps and other social services. Not that there haven't been bits of good luck, too, such as her sister scoring big at Bingo and buying some things for the children.

The Brashear Association (www.brashearassociation.org) has been a big help, too, arranging to get Julian into the Head Start program, finding tuition assistance for Ms. Workmeister, and providing advice and moral support.

Family Case Manager Dora Walmsley said working with Ms. Workmeister has been a pleasure. "She's worked with us to expand her job skills ... She's really been striving to better herself and they are nice, personable people."

The feeling is mutual. "Dora calls and checks up. She helped when I was pregnant. She's a lot of help; she doesn't just hand you a paper to sign up for things," Ms. Workmeister said.

Among the problems that remain: no car. That will make it tough to roam among UPMC's various facilities once Ms. Workmeister starts her job as an anesthesia technologist. But she's working on it.

Ms. Workmeister has needed some help along the way -- and who doesn't? -- but she's also spent her life taking care of other people -- of her kids, of her charges in day care and personal care and, soon, of patients in need of surgery.

She could use a little more help for the holidays. And that's where you come in.

Since 1947, readers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette have helped brighten the holidays for kids like Julian, Janeir and Amirah by donating to the Goodfellows Toy Fund. The goal of Goodfellows is for every child to find a toy under the tree on Christmas morning.

Your tax-deductible donation supports the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, which distributes thousands of toys each holiday season.

To contribute, mail your check with the coupon on this page to Post-Gazette Goodfellows, Box 715, Pittsburgh, PA 15230. You also can donate online at www.post-gazette.com/goodfellows.

Thank you for your generosity.