Just wondering -- did the hard drive really "go bad", or -- is it just no longer bootable?
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION to be made:
Just because the drive won't boot the Mac, doesn't mean all the files on the drive are lost.
(to put it another way, so long as the drive hasn't had a "hardware failure" -- won't spin, etc. -- at least some files may be recoverable)
It's possible one or more essential files that are required to boot have been corrupted, etc. Your wife's data files may still be "there", and if they are, chances are you can get them back.
Do you still have the original drive?
If so, once you get a replacement drive inside, you might still be able to "mount the old drive" using an external device. If it will mount on the desktop, you can grab what you need from it and copy the files to the new internal.
I would highly recommend that you consider getting a gadget called a "USB docking station" to assist with this.
To see what's available, go to a site like amazon.com and in the search box, enter:
"USB SATA dock"
There will be many hits -- just pick one you like that's cheap.
These things are easy as pie to use, and you can even boot from them. Did I also mention that they are CHEAP?
Also, if you've read this far, keep reading.
You may not even need to take the MacBook anywhere. Is the hard drive inside easily accessible? If you go to a place like iFixit.com, you will find detailed illustrations of how to do it yourself. You WILL need the right tools (get the EXACT SIZE screwdrivers, etc.). With the right tools, replacing the internal drive is a clean and easy job on modern Macs.
If…
- you buy a new drive on your own, and
- you get a USB/SATA dock, and
- you use internet restore to put a fresh copy of the os on the "docked drive", and
- you can then get booted externally, then…
… you can swap drives, have a working drive in the MacBook with a clean system on it, and see if the old drive will mount in the USB dock.