Teen who emptied piggy bank as kid for earthquake victims wins £27m on lottery
A surprised 18-year-old who emptied her piggy bank as a child to send cash to victims of the terrifying Haitian earthquake has experienced karma in action and won a Canadian $48million ($36m and £27m) lottery jackpot.
Canadian Juliette Lamour, bought her first ever lottery ticket after her grandfather suggested it was a good way to celebrate turning 18, was surprised to find she clearly had beginners luck, winning on her very first try. A total rookie, she did not know which ticket to buy, she had asked her father and he told her to choose a QuickPick ticket.
The Algoma University student believes this win could have been the result of good karma. She and her sister, Sophie, showed the pure generosity of children after they emptied their piggy banks as children to send money to victims of the Haitian earthquake in 2010.
Juliette wants to continue with good deeds and said was incredibly grateful that the money would allow her to complete her medical studies debt-free. She told Global News: "I just turned 18 and my grandfather suggested I buy a lottery ticket for fun.
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Aged 5, Juliette made a charitable donation with her life's savings (OLG)"When I went to the store, I wasn’t sure what to ask for because I had never bought a ticket before, so I called my dad who told me to buy a LOTTO 6-49 Quick Pick. I still can’t believe I hit the Gold Ball jackpot on my very first lottery ticket."
She had even forgotten she'd bought the ticket but checked on the app after colleagues told her the winning numbers were bought in Sault Ste Marie, where she had purchased hers. She, and everyone around her were shocked when her phone lit up with "Big Winner", and she knew her life had been changed.
She added: "My colleague fell to his knees in disbelief. He was yelling, in fact, everyone was yelling, that I won C$48 million!" The 18-year-old's first call was to her mother, who was in total disbelief that she had won the cash.
She hit the jackpot on her first try (OLG)Many teens may blow the money fast, but the student has said that she will carefully invest the money under the guidance of her financial adviser father, Kevin, and has said her plans for the near future haven't changed. Savings have always been a priority for the sisters, at just five years old she had saved C$61.38 to donate to the Canadian Red Cross for the Haitian cause.
She said: "We’re definitely going to keep friends and family in mind. And tonight, I’m still a university student so I’m planning on finishing my biology report."
After her studies, she wants to practice medicine in northern Ontario, and travel the world with her family. The teen is one of the youngest lottery winners and The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation confirmed that, while there have been other 18-year-old winners, no one had ever won as much as Juliette did.
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