Mother Wins $2 Million Lottery After Spending Life Savings on Daughter's Cancer Treatment
Winning ticket was last one left.
A Florida woman has won $2 million in the state lottery right after spending her life savings on her daughter's treatments for breast cancer. Geraldine Gimblet, 74, bought the winning $10 ticket one day after her daughter completed her final treatment. "I just didn't know. I was like, 'Are you sure, would you check this on your phone?' And I won," the longtime lottery player told Good Morning America. "I've been scratching for a long time. Every single day, I bring these scratch-offs in my pockets."
Winning Ticket Was Last One Left
Gimblet said she bought the last ticket the store had of her favorite scratch-off game, Bonus Cashword. "At first the gas station clerk thought there were no tickets left, but I asked him to double check because I like the crossword games the best. He found the last one," she told WSAZ. "When Geraldine Gimblet of Lakeland picked up the last $2,000,000 BONUS CASHWORD Scratch-Off game, her passion for crossword games paid off to the tune of a $2 million-dollar top prize, but that's just the beginning of a truly winning story!" the Florida Lottery tweeted on its official account.
Daughter Finished Treatment the Previous Day
Gimblet's daughter, Lawrencina Jackson, said her mom won the lottery just one day after Jackson rang the bell at a local hospital, signifying the end of her breast cancer treatment. "It was truly amazing," Jackson told GMA. "It was a blessing." "Her doing what she did just meant so much to me," she added. "I don't even see where I can replace it. I just have to keep loving her, maybe that'll help." Gimblet said that helping pay for Jackson's cancer treatment just came naturally to her as a mother. "I really didn't think about it," she said. "I just did what I had to do."
Payout: $1.6 Million
When Gimblet claimed the prize at the lottery's headquarters in Tallahassee last week, she was accompanied by her daughter and granddaughter. According to the Florida Lottery, Gimblet opted for a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1,645,000. Pipkin Road Beverage Castle, the store where Gimblet bought the prize scratch-off, scored a $2,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
Social Media Reacts
A number of Twitter commenters expressed their joy for mother and daughter. "Congratulations!!!! You were selfless in your giving, and got more than you expected in return," one woman wrote. "With just reading the headline, my heart smiled SOO BIG!," another commenter said. "Huge congratulations to mom and daughter both." "I'm so happy for her. I lost my husband to cancer, he was only 34 yrs old. I miss him every day and would have done anything to save him. I am so happy for this family. God gave a double blessing," another woman wrote.
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Multiple Winner Is Third Time Lucky
That wasn't the only big lottery news this month: A Maryland man has used the same numbers to win more than $50,000 three times. On Apr. 22, the Maryland State Lottery said a 52-year-old Waldorf man had returned to its headquarters to claim $50,000—his third win in 11 months. The man, who is choosing to remain anonymous, won his latest Pick 5 prize in the April 13 midday drawing by placing a $1 straight bet on the number 48548. That's the same bet and number that won $100,000 on two tickets he bought on May 18, 2022. "It hit last year, and it hit again," he said. "My wife said, 'Let's play this number,' and we keep winning with it."
