Despite a life-changing Lotto win, a hard-working mum has vowed to keep her job to be a good role model to her young son.
Toni Henderson, from County Durham, revealed how her £1M win came as a huge relief after a tough few months “living payday to payday”, alongside the news that her rent had just increased. But now the 32-year-old is able to own her own home and take her son on his first abroad holiday.
The mum-of-one said: “I am just a normal person, living payday to payday. The rent has just gone up and I live on my own. With managing the bills it was starting to get a bit of a struggle. The win will help me massively – I have so much freedom now and I feel a lot more independent. It gives my son the start he deserves and I want the money to last for our future.
“To be honest, I feel a bit guilty for spending it as I haven’t earned it. I am so unbelievably grateful but it’s going to take a lot of time to sink in.”
Toni’s winning story started after purchasing two Lucky Dip tickets for the Lotto draw on Saturday, April 27. She revealed how she would buy Lucky Dips on “the odd Saturday” but didn’t check the winning numbers until she woke up at 8am the next morning.
The payments and admin assistant said: “I checked one of the lines and realised I had some of the numbers. I originally thought I had matched five numbers, which was £1,700 and I was buzzing that I’d won that – it was extra money I didn’t have. But when I logged into my online account it came along the top that I had won £1M. I sat there counting the zeros, shaking in bed, whilst my son was still asleep.
“I tried to ring my mum but she wasn’t answering so I woke my son up and we jumped in the car to mum’s. She was visibly concerned when we turned up out of the blue and kept asking what was wrong. I remember saying something like, ‘I think you need to sit down’ before telling her that I’d won £1M on The National Lottery – she couldn’t believe it.
“She was in the middle of starting the Sunday lunch and just stood there shaking. I was on autopilot for the rest of the day and didn’t sleep a wink that night.”
The following morning Toni was able to confirm the win with The National Lottery. However, Toni admitted that it still doesn’t feel real, even with the money now safely in the bank.
(Image: Anthony Devlin)
She added: “There are no words to express how you feel. I had this excited butterfly feeling having the win officially confirmed and then seeing all of the zeros in my bank account. You sit and think about what you’d do all the time if you won, but then, when it happens, you don’t know what to do.
“I did take my son shopping and we bought some toys but even then I told him certain things were too expensive. I have always had to be cautious with money so it doesn’t feel right to spend lots on things I wouldn’t have bought before. I am not a materialistic person, even now I find a pair of trainers over £100 far too expensive.”
Toni said following her win she sent a text to her manager and asked if he would call her. After announcing that she had won £1M, some employers would probably expect a resignation to follow. However, Toni asked if she could have a few days off to process the news and revealed that she had full intentions to return to work.
She said: “I want to keep working – it gives my son a good upbringing and he can learn the value of working hard. My mum has always worked and I want him to have a good mindset and learn that for the nice things in life, you have to earn them.
“I want to be a good role model for him. I have worked since the age of 17 – I would be bored and lost if I didn’t work.”
She added: “I eventually want to buy a house and I have been looking at new cars and settled on a Kia Sportage in the end, which I love! You think you’re going to get a flash one when you win, but I quickly realised that really isn’t me. I am just happy with the prospect of a new car – that’s a first for me!”
“I’m not a greedy person – I just want to help others really. I’ve helped out family members and I want to do something special for my mum and dad. No amount of money can repay them for all they have done for me.
“I am also going to take my son to Disney World Florida. You only live once and he has never been abroad. That is a one-off trip that I wouldn’t have been able to do before the win. I get a lot of comfort out of helping others – that’s what I get a buzz out of.”
(Image: Anthony Devlin)
Toni bought her winning Lotto ticket online via the National Lottery website. The winning Lotto numbers on Saturday 27 April were: 2, 15, 18, 25, 57, 58 and the Bonus Ball was 53.
By playing any National Lottery game, players generate £30M each week for National Lottery-funded projects. This money helps fund projects across the nation, with over 685,000 grants – supporting projects both big and small – having been made across the UK to date.
Players can buy and check their tickets online by downloading the National Lottery app or at national-lottery.co.uk. Players can also buy and check tickets in retail. Playing online via the app or website means that your ticket is checked, and you get an email notification if you win a prize. You can also scan your retail tickets on the National Lottery app to check if you’re a winner.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/county-durham-national-lottery-winner-29249588
