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Late mother’s note leads son to unexpected EuroMillions surprise

She played every week for years without a big win until after she passed. Was the prize his all along?

An EuroMillions ticket.
Todd Betzold

When Liam Carter began the difficult task of going through his late mother’s belongings, he braced himself for an emotional journey. He expected to find memories tucked into old photo albums, a few forgotten trinkets, maybe a grocery list or two.

But buried in the quiet clutter of a kitchen drawer, he discovered something far more unexpected: a lottery ticket, scribbled with a simple reminder in his mother’s handwriting. It seemed ordinary at first, but he soon realized the ticket may have been one last parting gift from his mother.

A surprise from his late mother

On April 16, 2025, Anne Carter passed away at the age of 67. After her death, her son, 34-year-old Liam Carter of Aberdeen, was going through some of her belongings in her home.

During that time, he found a EuroMillions ticket stuffed inside her kitchen drawer. The ticket was for the draw on Friday, April 18 — just two days after she passed away. On the ticket, Liam noticed a handwritten note by his mother. The note said: “Sat draw – don’t forget!”

A parting gift from his mother

That ticket and note turned out to be one last parting gift from his mother, Liam said. He had a hunch, so he grabbed the ticket and decided to check it using the National Lottery app.

When he checked the ticket, he was prompted to call the official line for confirmation. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but the call revealed that his mother’s ticket had matched the five main numbers for that draw — 20, 27, 35, 39, and 48 — but missed out on matching the two Lucky Stars, which were 3 and 8.

Liam was shocked to find out he had a big winner on his hands.

Always meant for him?

Despite his mother passing away before enjoying the lottery win, it seems like the money would have always ended up in Liam’s hands. According to The Daily Record, he stated his mother played the lottery every week and told him that if she ever won, the money would be for him.

After collecting the winnings, Liam plans on using that money to put a deposit down on a flat, a dream that his mother encouraged him to pursue.

‘Lottery isn’t just about money’

This heartfelt story shows that sometimes playing the lottery is more than just the money. While Liam was grieving his mother, he found himself experiencing a windfall his mother had always hoped for when playing the lottery every week.

With Liam finding this winning ticket in his mother’s kitchen drawer, it’s a friendly reminder to always store your tickets in an identifiable place because you never know what life is going to bring you.

Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.

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