Son found mum’s winning EuroMillions ticket stuffed in drawer after her death
A grieving son found his mum’s winning lottery ticket days after she died.
Liam Carter, 34, was sifting through his mother’s belongings after her death when he found the ticket.
It was tucked inside a folded envelope in her kitchen drawer, and on it she had scribbled: ‘Sat draw – don’t forget!’
Mr Carter said: ‘I nearly ignored it, but something told me to check. I scanned it using the National Lottery app, and it said it was a winning ticket — but I’d have to call the lottery line.’
After ringing last Saturday, he was told his mum, who played the lottery each week, had matched five numbers and bagged just over £18,000.
‘I just froze. I must’ve gone quiet on the phone. It didn’t feel real. She never won anything big in her life — and now this,’ Mr Carter, originally from Hampshire but now living in Aberdeen, said.
‘She always said if she ever won, the money would be for me.
‘And even though she never knew about this win, it really felt like something she left behind for me.
‘Like one final gift.’
Mr Carter revealed the money will be used towards getting a deposit for a flat – something his mum always wished for him.
A spokesperson from Playcasino.com said: ‘Liam’s story shows that the lottery isn’t just about money — it’s about meaning. In this case, a forgotten ticket became something powerful and emotional.
‘It’s a reminder that even the smallest moments can carry the biggest impact.’
The remarkable discovery comes after a dad nearly missed out on bagging a cool £1 million when he left his winning lottery ticket in the car and forgot to check it.
Darren Burfitt, 44, from Swansea, had been reminded by friends and relatives to look after an appeal went out searching for a missing millionaire following the Euromillions draw on October 18.
He said he was made up when one of the tickets pinged as he scanned it and discovered he had won £3.60.
The dad added he ‘couldn’t quite believe it’ when he matched the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker code.
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