Couple Wins $1M Lottery Prize 3 Weeks Before Welcoming Son: ‘Couldn’t Have Happened at a Better Time’
John Stanhill said the win “has been such a huge relief" for him and his wife as they entered parenthood
A Florida man won big on a lottery scratch-off ticket shortly before his wife was expected to give birth to their first child.
John Stanhill, 46, recently purchased a $50 “500X THE CASH” scratch-off ticket from Duval Exxon, located at 1403 Third Street North in Jacksonville Beach, according to a news release from the Florida Lottery.
The ticket — which just happened to be a $1 million winner — was bought just three weeks before his wife Victoria Oakley was expected to give birth, state lottery officials added.
Stanhill said winning on the lottery ticket “couldn’t have happened at a better time” and “has been such a huge relief for us.”
Related: $842.4 Million Powerball Jackpot Winner Revealed as Michigan Lottery Group: 'Once-in-a-Lifetime'
“We’ve been able to fully focus on being new parents by putting our financial worries at ease,” the couple explained.
Stanhill claimed his prize at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee on Tuesday, June 11, according to the news release. He opted to receive a one-time, lump-sum payment of $640,000.
Since then, the couple’s baby boy was born. “We won the lottery – and then we won the lottery again with our beautiful, healthy baby boy!” Oakley said.
Now, the couple plans to put the money to good use. “We were able to start a college fund for our baby and plan on paying off student loans,” they explained. “We are over the moon with everything that’s happened!”
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The Exxon where Stanhill purchased the ticket has received a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winner.
The odds of winning on the $50 scratch-off ticket purchased by Stanhill are 1-in-4.23, according to state lottery officials.
Over the years, scratch-off games have reportedly generated more than $18.95 billion for Florida’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.
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