AUSTELL, Ga. -- On Christmas morning, 5-year-old Rebecca Pierce tore open a present from Santa. Rebecca smiled and said, "Santa thinks I'm a good girl."

A good girl, that had a rough few months. Thirteen feet of water filled the Pierce's Austell home during Georgia's historic floods. Water wiped out their entire neighborhood.

While mom, Nikki, and Rebecca were trying to get away from the rain, dad, Jack, faced another deadly foe. Four days before the flood he was diagnosed with chronic liver disease.

"I was actually in the hospital the day the flood happened, watching it on the news," said Jack.

"In a matter of four days our lives were turned upside down," said Nikki.

The Pierce’s got money from FEMA to help rent a new home and replace what they lost, but as Christmas approached, it was clear it wouldn't be enough.

"We could have used those funds to buy gifts, but then we wouldn’t have power or gas for our vehicles," said Jack.

Friends, and even complete strangers, donated all the gifts under the tree. There wasn't much for mom and dad, but Nikki said she got the only thing she wanted.

"Just seeing her being angry all these months, but then to see that smile, it’s good," said Nikki. "It’s really nice to see that smile."

The Pierce's struggles aren't over. Charitable groups have offered to rebuild their home, but with Jack out of work, the family worries they might lose the house before work can begin. Despite that fear, Nikki said she considers her family lucky, especially this Christmas.