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Family birth dates proved to be fortuitous for the paramedic, who credits her loved ones for helping her hit enough winning numbers to cash in a seven-figure payday from the Wednesday, Nov. 2 drawing.
The paramedic - who chose not to disclose a name - said that she hadn't run the winning ticket through a scanner at a Lottery retailer all month - and what she thought was a $10,000 windfall was actually a massive $1,000,000 victory for her and her family.
"I don’t play too often,” admitted the fire department veteran of almost 30 years. “All of the excitement surrounding the Powerball jackpot got to me, though.”
The winning ticket was sold at Cross Keys Exxon at 4434 Falls Road in Baltimore, which will also receive a $2,500 bonus from Maryland Lottery for selling the big winner.
“When it came time to decide what numbers to play, all that came to mind were the birthdays of various family members,” she said. “I mixed in a few random numbers, but it was those birthdays that made this happen.
“When I first looked, I thought it read $10,000, which was amazing. Then, I looked closer.”
She said that she was stunned by the enormity of her lucky lottery ticket, saying that she “literally froze there for a few seconds,” not allowing herself to believe that her life was about to change.
“I wouldn’t let myself believe it until I got home to find the winning numbers on the website. When I did, while there was joy and shock, my biggest feeling was relief.”
Maryland’s newest millionaire doesn't have any immediate plans for her newfound cash, but called it a blessing that will help ease her into retirement after decades of serving the community as a paramedic.
“This is such a blessing,” she said. "The best part, though, is that it’ll allow me to bless others. Isn’t it amazing how life can change from one moment to the next.”
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