Mom Surprises Son With Late Dad's Pickup Truck

A teenage boy was handed the keys to his late father’s pickup truck in an emotional birthday surprise planned to honor the man he lost. Gage DaPrato, 14, from Basehor, Kansas, had grown up riding in the Chevrolet Silverado with his father, Justin, on the way to baseball games and practices for teams Justin helped coach. Though Gage was young at the time, his mom, Mindy, 46, said he loved the truck so much that when he once saw a black version of the same vehicle, he called it a “Blackado,” because his dad’s was silver. The family’s life changed in late 2021, when they contracted COVID-19 and Justin was taken to the emergency room. He died on December 13 after being vented for nearly two weeks. After Justin’s death, the truck remained on the family’s drive for a while before Justin’s father, Ed, took it to his farm in Topeka for safekeeping. In the years that followed, Gage would spend time at the farm and ask to ride in his dad’s truck. Ed kept the vehicle running and promised that, one day, it would belong to Gage. That moment came on April 24, on what would have been Justin’s birthday. Gage had passed his driver’s test and received his permit the previous month, and Mindy decided the timing was right. After eating at Chipotle – Justin’s favorite place to eat – Mindy pulled over in a Walmart parking lot and explained what was about to happen. She then handed Gage the keys. The emotion of the moment was clear on the teenager’s face as Mindy captured his reaction on video.