A Kelowna woman who tragically lost her husband earlier this year had a big surprise hours before the birth of her second child on December 18.
Payton Gosselin nominated her close friend Alicia Black as “Hero” for YouTuber and Sunny Lenarduzzi’s “Hero Story” on The Sunny Show.
Lenarduzzi chose Black as her next hero and gave her her dream bus, which will be transformed into a tiny home for her and her two children in the coming months.
“It was a perfect fit because we not only give her a handout, but also give her a hand-up,” says Gosselin. “So Sunny heard her story and thought this is actually the kind of mother we want to help, not just because she’s having a tough time, but because she gave so much to the community herself.”
Black volunteered at Mamas for Mamas, the Central Okanagan Food Bank, and Kelowna’s Gospel Mission. She also had a difficult year with the sudden death of her husband Josiah in June 2020.
Black and her husband Josiah married in July 2016 after meeting for just four months. The couple traveled and lived in a Volkswagen van and Gosselin described them as “modern day hippies”.
“Three weeks after we met, we got a VW bus, one of those hippie buses. I quit my job and a road trip turned into three years in which I lived and traveled in Volkswagen Vans, ”says Black.
During this time, Schwarz gave birth to her first child. Black was pregnant with their second child until 2020 when Josiah tragically died.
Castanet reported the sudden death on June 17th, and Josiah’s identity was not disclosed by RCMP at that time due to privacy concerns.
His body was discovered on the summit of Spion Kop in Lake Country and no crime was suspected upon his death.
“He was the most sociable and interesting person I’ve ever met in my entire life,” says Black. “He loved truth and honesty. He wanted to be out in the woods all the time. “
Josiah was an actor who has appeared in such films as the 2017 Jigsaw Film, Kindergarten Cop 2, American Bad Boy, and others. He was also a stand-up comedian with several comedy albums.
Before his death, the couple wanted to buy a large bus to turn into a house on wheels for their family. Black started a GoFundMe campaign after Josiah passed away that helped her buy a bus that she wanted to remodel.
Lenarduzzi made this dream come true for Black on December 18th.
As seen in the YouTube video, the Mamas for Mamas team surprised along with Lenarduzzi Black, who believed she was on the way to film a video with Mamas for Mamas.
The team packed the bus full of baby items for Black, who was due to have her baby in the coming days. During the surprise, Lenarduzzi told Black that she would turn the bus into the house she always wanted.
“I was completely overwhelmed. I also had contractions during that video, ”says Black.
An hour after the surprise was revealed, Black had her baby.
“2020 was both the worst and the best year of my life. It was the two best surprises that were possible in one day. Totally ridiculous, ”laughs Black.
The bus is currently undergoing a redesign and is expected to be completed in the coming months. It will be a home for Black and her two children, and it will also act as an Airbnb.
