A North Carolina nurse working in the Covid-19 unit at a long-term care facility received a welcome surprise when she won $ 1 million in the state lottery.
The nurse, Terri Watkins, entered the Supreme Riches’ $ 300,000,000 second-chance draw, but did not think she would actually win.
When the state education lottery called to congratulate her, Watkins said she was shocked.
“I thought it was a scam. I was actually a little upset! I thought it was not really, can not really be. It’s still something I really do not believe, I’m still a bit shocked here, ‘she said according to a press release.
Watkins, of Durham, did not answer a call by NBC News on Wednesday.
Her name was chosen from more than 513,000 entries. Watkins had the option to take $ 424,500 in cash – the amount the winner gets after tax – or to receive 20 payments of $ 50,000 a year.
She chose to take the cash home and collected her prize on Thursday.
‘I am a nurse and work in the Covid unit at a long-term care facility. “Just when I saw some of the things I had to see, I’m very grateful,” she said. I prayed for something to help me in this situation. This is really a wonderful thing. I am very blessed. ”
From now on, Watkins said she is still considering how she is going to spend the money. She said a new home would be nice, but she wanted to “take time and put it in the right place.”
“I’ll just tackle it slowly and easily and figure out what I’m going to do,” she said.
