As the Mega Millions® jackpot was nearing $1 billion, one Michigan City woman decided to join in the excitement and purchase a ticket for the next drawing. She was on her way to pick up her daughter from work and stopped to get gas. Seeing the $980 million Mega Millions jackpot, she decided to buy a ticket.

A few days after the drawing, she remembered her ticket and pulled out her phone to check the winning numbers online.

“I thought I had matched a few numbers,” she recalled, “but I wasn’t sure if I had won or how much I might have won.”

She showed her ticket to a few family members, and they realized she had indeed won. When they told her she won $50,000, she couldn’t believe it. “Really??” she asked.

As the reality began to sink in, they all shared a moment of celebration.

She plans to use her winnings to pay a couple of bills and will put the rest in savings. 

Mega Millions® Overall Odds: 1 in 23.07