I spent my life savings on my daughter’s cancer treatment – then a DAY later I won £1.3m on the lottery
THE universe has a funny way of rewarding you for doing good things.
And one mum, Geraldine Gimblet, knows all about it after she took out her life savings to pay for her daughter’s cancer treatment – only to be rewarded with the lottery jackpot the very next day.
She walked into her local petrol station with the £8 ($10) needed for her favourite cross-word scratch card.
But Geraldine very nearly missed out on her £1.3million win.
The mum said: “At first the gas station clerk thought there were no tickets left, but I asked him to double check because I like the crossword games the best.
“He found the last one.”
And her persistence clearly paid off, as she scratched out the card Geraldine, from Florida, realised she had hit the jackpot and was handed £1,308,745 ($1,645,000).
The winnings couldn’t come at a better time, as her daughter had just finished her last round of cancer treatment.
Speaking to Florida lottery, her daughter said: “The day before my mom bought this ticket, I rang the bell and walked out of the hospital after completing my last treatment for breast cancer.
“My mom had taken out her life savings to take care of me when I was sick,” she added.
“I’m just so happy for her.”
The crossword scratch-off ticket that Geraldine purchased has eight top prizes of $2million and 20 secondary prizes of $100,000 – meaning there are only seven top prices left.
The mum celebrated her win alongside her daughter and granddaughter where she awarded the classic giant cheque of $2,000,000.
Like many, Geraldine wanted her winnings in one lump sum, and was given a one-off payment of £1.3million.
Geraldine and her daughter’s incredible story of luck, karma, and good will even caught the attention of Florida lottery’s Chief of Staff, Reggie Dixon.
When he heard the powerful tale he joined the family to celebrate their well-deserved win.
The petrol station she purchased the ticket from, Pipkin Road Beverage Castle, will also be awarded £1,500 ($2,0000 for the winning ticket.