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It started out as a seizure, but at the hospital Will Mravlag learned he had a brain bleed.

"He had a ruptured brain aneurysm and had to have emergency surgery back in December," his wife, Jess Mravlag, said Saturday. "He was in the hospital for three weeks, got home right before Christmas, on Christmas Eve actually."

Now, Will's out of work for an estimated two months, from his job at Washington Flooring.

This weekend, the couple's children Mackenzie, 6, and Tyler, 8, are manning a hot chocolate stand on the front porch of their Phillipsburg home, to help raise money to cover the family's bills.

"I wanted to make money for my family since my dad's out of work for a while," said Mackenzie, who came up with the idea.

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Mackenzie Mravlag, 6, and her brother, Tyler, 8, lower right from left, are manning a hot chocolate stand Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019, with help from their mother, Jess, and 16-month-old sister, Bianca, to raise money to help with the family's bills after their father, Will Mravlag, underwent emergency brain surgery Dec. 7, 2018, and was forced to miss two months of work. The stand was open till 5 p.m. Saturday and continues 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday on the front porch of the family's home at 61 Filmore St. in Phillipsburg. (Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com)

The stand features hot chocolate ladled out of a crock pot, to keep it warm as temperatures hovered around freezing Saturday afternoon. There are also homemade sugar, chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies.

A cup costs 50 cents and a cookies goes for a quarter. The children plan to be out until 5 p.m. Saturday and again from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, at 61 Filmore St.

Initially, Mackenzie wanted to do a lemonade stand, said her mother, as she held the couple's 16-month-old, Bianca.

"So being that it's a little cold we did the hot chocolate instead," Jess said.

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A bright green sign advertises the Mravlag's family fundraiser Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019, at 61 Filmore St. in Phillipsburg. (Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com)

There is also a gofundme.com effort set up to help the family.

"It got us through a month's worth of rent so far and some of our utilities," Jess said of the online fundraiser. "So it's definitely helped out."

The family has lived in Phillipsburg about five years, after moving from Caldwell, Essex County, to be closer to friends.

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Saturday afternoon, Will lifted his black cap to show the scar from his surgery.

"Good kids," he said as Mackenzie and Tyler kept a lookout for customers. "Very good kids."

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.