Local businesses and volunteers from Medicine Hat, Alta., surprised a pregnant widow by renovating her house on Friday while her family kept her busy outside for much of the day.

Dozens of volunteers helped overhaul Andrea Maksymowich's home by adding a new fireplace, a new kitchen and new furniture in 7.5 hours. Fifty companies donated more than $45,000 worth of materials.

Volunteers rip out counters in Andrea Maksymowich's kitchen during a surprise makeover.
(CBC)

They wanted to help after discovering that Maksymowich's 34-year-old husband, Corey, died in an accident in March, leaving behind his wife and two young children. He died when a car he was working on fell on top of him. It was the same day that Maksymowich learned she was pregnant with the couple's third child.

"This is the first Christmas without a husband, a dad for a five-year-old little girl and a two-year-old boy," said Scott Cowan, the organizer. "When we heard the story about Andrea, we had to do it for her."

Maksymowich was overwhelmed with emotion when she returned home and saw the home makeover.

"There's been so many people who helped us," she said, hugging her children. "It makes you realize how much people actually care for other people, and no matter what happens in the world, everybody is there for everybody."