85-year-old B.C. lottery winner surprises sister with new car
“Oh my God! I’m so excited!” Barb Randall says, as she records herself heading up a driveway. “We’re almost there!”
The 85-year-old has travelled from Nanaimo, B.C., to Petawawa, Ont., to surprise the sister she hasn’t seen in years.
“Don’t start the party without me!” Barb yells while opening the car door, her phone still recording, preparing to crash Norma’s 75th birthday gathering with a priceless gift.
“Is that Barb?!” Norma Huff asks, confused, before screaming with excitement and rushing over to hug her big sister.
“I just about died!” Norma says, after the surprise. “Barb has always been like a second mom to me!”
But their 10-year age gap is not the reason Barb will never forget the day Norma was born.
“(Her birth) took a second place to the plumbers there (at our house),” Barb recalls with a laugh. “They were putting an indoor toilet in.”
A humble beginning that inspired a lifetime of generous giving from Norma.
“She’s the best person I know,” Barb smiles.
Barb says her sister hasn’t retired yet. Instead of spending money on herself, Norma’s working to support others, like the local homeless shelter she was instrumental in starting.
“I see so many people with nothing,” Norma says. “It’s so nice to give something to people.”
Which brings us to Barbara’s prayer.
“I said, ‘Please Lord,’” Barb recalls. “‘Let me win the big lottery.’”
Barb says her prayer was answered when she recently won a five-figure prize, but it was never for her.
“I felt something right here in my heart,” Barb says, holding her chest. “I said, 'I can get Norma Jean a car!'”
So Barb spent almost all of her winnings to surprise her sister with her first new car in more than 40 years.
When Barb presents her with the keys, the full range of Norma’s reaction is caught on camera — from confusion to disbelief to gratitude.
There’s also a lot of laughter and happy tears.
Barb says she wanted to give back to the sister who’s given so much to so many.
“If you knew her, you’d do it too,“ Barb says, before laughing. “And anyway, I’m 85 years old. I’m on the downward slope! What do I need with a new car?!”
As Barb and Norma embrace on camera, they exemplify what they’ve learned from each other over the years: it’s the time we spend together that’s priceless, and the best gifts you get are the ones you give.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.