Mom caring for hospitalized son buys $5 worth of lottery tickets — and wins big in NC
A Florida mother taking care of her hospitalized son in North Carolina couldn’t believe her luck.
That’s because Donna Reed’s lottery ticket won her $167,635, according to the NC Education lottery.
While looking after her son’s home in Bryson City in western North Carolina, Reed stopped at Ingles Markets on Hughes Branch Road to buy a $5 worth of Cash 5 Quick Pick tickets, lottery officials said.
“I put that five bucks to good use, wouldn’t you say,” the Florida resident said in a news release.
She “was one of three winners who matched all five numbers” on Nov. 28, according to the lottery service. The $502,905 jackpot was split three ways.
The other winning tickets were bought at the Han-Dee Hugo gas station on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh and through online play in Wilson, lottery officials said.
Reed took home $118,602 after taxes, according to the lottery service.
“It’s really like a dream,” Reed said in the release. “It’s just a wonderful feeling. I honestly still can’t believe it.”
She plans on using her winnings to pay for her son’s medical bills and buy him a truck.
This isn’t Reed’s first lottery victory. She won $500,000 in the Florida lottery after buying a $5 GOLD RUSH scratch-off ticket in 2016, lottery officials said.
Cash 5 tickets are $1 and drawings take place every night.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhen gambling is more than a game
Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
This story was originally published December 2, 2021 at 12:20 PM with the headline "Mom caring for hospitalized son buys $5 worth of lottery tickets — and wins big in NC."
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