(CNN) – Deng Pravatoudom followed her husband’s dream to Easy Street.
Pravatoudom, 57, has been playing the lottery for two decades using a set of numbers her husband dreamed of about 20 years ago. In December, his dream came true when his wife played the numbers and won a $ 60 million jackpot, Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) said in a news release on Monday.
On December 1, the mother of two – who was discharged during the pandemic – went to the bank to pay bills while her husband checked the tickets.
When they returned to the car, he told her they had won $ 60 million.
“I was ecstatically happy, and I cried at the same time. I could not believe it at first, ”Pravatoudom said during a virtual celebration where she was handed the check. “I’m going to buy a house, and if it’s allowed to Covid, I’m going to travel the world.”
Pravatoudom emigrated from Laos to Canada with her 14 siblings in 1980. She and her husband worked hard for decades to support their family, she said.
“My family was sponsored by a local church and because we had nothing, I am grateful for the great support they have provided over the years,” she said. ‘My husband and I have been working as general laborers for over 40 years, trying to save what we could do for our family. Because of the pandemic I was fired last year, this money will definitely help make our lives a lot easier. ”
Along with buying diamonds for her, Pravatoudom and her husband will first pay off their bills and help their children, who she says are overwhelmed with joy for their parents.
“They said, ‘Mom and Dad, you worked so hard for 40 years and made a lot of sacrifices, so you deserve this happiness,'” Pravatoudom said.
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