Baby bonus: These couples won millions after having a child

Just because your family gets bigger doesn't mean your income does. Along with the joy of growing your family comes the pain of growing your bills. From diapers to formula to childcare, the needs of a newborn are endless and can drain your income faster than a hungry baby can drain a bottle.

So while a lottery jackpot is great at any point in your life, it's even better when you’re figuring out how to pay for family vacations, babysitters, and a college fund all at the same time.

These are true stories of families who won big lottery prizes while expecting tiny bundles of joy.

Free play/big win

Jaspreet and Gubhej Sran wanted a better life for themselves and their family when they moved from the Indian state of Punjab to Brampton, Canada, in 2010. They settled into their new country and worked hard ot make their dreams real. Gubhej drove trucks for a living while Jaspreet, his wife, studied to be an accountant.

In 2014, they were ready to expand their family and soon were expecting their first child. They knew it would be a challenge, particularly with Gubhej's job, which kept him on the road for days at a time, but they believed they could make do.

Then, just a week after their first child was born, Jaspreet felt an overpowering urge to buy a lottery ticket. The Sran's were not big lottery players, but according to Jaspreet, she just had a feeling that they could score a big win.

So they went to their local convenience store, purchased a 6/49 Lotto ticket, and won a free play. They entered their free ticket into the next drawing, and this time they won something even better: $18 million CAD.

Jaspreet shared with reporters the sensation she had after the drawing for their second ticket. She said:

I had a feeling we should go to the store and check our ticket. The self-checker said, 'Big Winner, see retailer,' so we thought maybe we'd won $10,000. We were so surprised to find out it was much, much more!

The new parents admitted that they were still too sleep-deprived from caring for their newborn to think about what they'll do with the money. Gubhej mentioned that he'd like to get a new truck and purchase a new home for their family. He added that the best thing they could do with the money was to fly their parents in from India to finally see their new grandchild.

Double trouble

One New Jersey couple, who chose to remain anonymous, turned their casual hobby into a multi-million-dollar fortune.

The pair had two young children, a five-year-old and an eleven-month-old, and were expecting their third. Caring for their young family meant it wasn't easy for them to get out of the house for more than trips to the grocery store, so they spent their nights at home playing the lottery. The husband stated:

With our kids, we can't really get out of the house. So at the beginning of the month, we get some (Scratch-Off) tickets. When the kids go to bed, we scratch a few off. We like to make it a bit of a competition — who can win the most. It seems we at least always break even.

In November 2025, they purchased a fresh batch of tickets from an Exxon gas station in Toms River, NJ, including a Jackpot Millions scratch-off ticket. Later that night, they sat down to watch TV and check their stash when the husband's eyes went wide. When his wife asked what was wrong, he showed her that they had just won a $3 million jackpot.

She admitted that it was hard to believe they had won such a massive prize. “I looked at it, held it to my chest, and screamed,” she told lottery officials.

Her husband added, “Ten seconds later, she's laughing. This is perfect. I told her, 'Babe, we got luck on our side.'”

The craziest part is that this was actually their second big lottery win that year. Just a few months before getting pregnant for the third time, the couple won a million-dollar prize playing the “$1,000,000 Ultimate Spectacular” instant win game.

With her hand on her stomach, the wife laughed and said they may have celebrated too much after that first win.

According to New Jersey Lottery officials, the odds of winning two million-dollar prizes are one in two trillion.

Jacksonville jackpot

John Stanhill admitted that he wasn't sure which made him more nervous: expecting his first baby with his partner, Victoria Oakley, or holding the million-dollar check he just won from the Florida Lottery.

Stanhill's seven-figure day started in June 2024, when he stopped at the Duval Exxon in Jacksonville and picked up a 500X The Cash instant win game and scratched his way to a $1,000,000 jackpot.

“This just couldn't have happened at a better time!” Stanhill said as he, Oakley, and their dog Maya, collected his prize at the state lottery offices in Tallahassee. Oakley added:

We won the lottery – and then we won the lottery again with our beautiful, healthy baby boy! All in three weeks' time!

Stanhill admitted that he was nervous about becoming a first-time father, but that his big lottery prize definitely made him feel better about the life he could provide for his son. The couple explained:

Our lottery win has been such a huge relief for us. We've been able to fully focus on being new parents by putting our financial worries at ease. We were able to start a college fund for our baby and plan on paying off student loans. We are over the moon with everything that's happened!

In addition to providing for their son, Stanhill said they might also get a few tickets to see their favorite football team, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jags fan opted for the one-time lump sum payout and took home $640,000.

Baby boom

Ian Dupre of Embrun, Ontario, won one million dollars from the lottery, and somehow that was only the second-best thing to happen to him that day. His good fortune occurred on January 4, 2024, the same day that his new son was born.

"I drove my wife to the next town to have our baby,” he told reporters.

The birth of a healthy child is always a lucky day, and Dupre decided to see how far his luck would stretch. He added:

I decided to pick up some tickets while we were waiting to leave the hospital. I figured I would try my luck.

The new father bought a $100 Ultimate instant win game from the Quickie Pearl convenience store in Brockville, CA.

“Sure enough, I checked my ticket after the draw and see [sic] I won $1 million – I was in complete disbelief."

When he told his wife about his big win, she was so dazed by either the money or the recent childbirth that she didn't think it was real. "She couldn't believe it. It's surreal."

Dupre said he'll use the money to invest, pay off his debts, and provide for his family's future.

Early arrival

Winning the lottery won't make you give birth, but apparently, it can help speed up the process. At least that was the case for UK mom Natalie Metcalf, who was eight months pregnant when she received some exciting news.

Metcalf and her partner, Andy Symes, were enjoying a morning at home when he checked his phone and saw that they had the winning code for EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker and had just won the game's top prize of £1 million.

The news was so overwhelming for Metcalf, who wasn't due for another four weeks, that she went into labor. She recalled for reporters:

It was strange times, and obviously Poppy was early as a result of the excitement of winning the lottery. So on one hand, you are really excited you have this life-changing amount of money, and on the other, it was panic stations because something was happening that shouldn't be happening yet.

Symes raced them to the hospital, and Metcalf prepared for an early delivery.

I remember being wheeled down the recovery ward, and the midwife was tucking me in, looking after me, and I remember blurting out, 'I should be at home now spending a million pounds!' and I think she just thought, 'what?'

Fortunately, despite her early entrance, Metcalf gave birth to a healthy baby girl, and after taking some time to recover, she and Symes were able to reflect on how their fortune could change their lives. Symes expressed in front of the reporters:

Winning the lottery has certainly improved our work-life balance. I work through choice now, and we have a better quality of life. We've taken our time, not spending our winnings all at once, which is the advice we would give any new winners, too.

And while they have many plans for their money, they mentioned that one of the things they're most looking forward to is finally planning their wedding, which they had to postpone because the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to social distance. Symes continued:

An incredible win like ours makes life more comfortable and means you don't have a mortgage and can have the nicer holidays. A National Lottery win is life-changing and, in theory, means you can have a stress-free life. We're very much looking forward to more of that.