A man in the UK who cares for his wife with multiple sclerosis hit the jackpot on the EuroMillions Lottery and shared what he plans to do with the winnings.
According to a press release by the National Lottery, Ian Steele, 53, works as a school chef. His 51-year-old wife, Nick, was a specialist dental nurse at Manchester Hospital. However, doctors diagnosed her with MS 18 years ago, and she subsequently retired on medical grounds.
The outlet says that Ian checked his lottery numbers early one morning. He had no matching numbers, so he went to work as usual. During his break, he received a message from the National Lottery saying he had won a prize but dismissed it as an error as he had already checked. His numbers hadn’t come up, but something else had. “I logged into the app and still only had £1.50 in my account. But then it sunk in. In the draw results, the raffle number was lit up in blue with a tick next to it,” Ian explained.
The National Lottery explains that the school chef had actually won by matching a raffle code on the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker. Each ticket reportedly has one of these unique codes, separate from the numbers.
Ian Couldn’t Believe He Hit The Lottery Jackpot
Ian couldn’t believe what he saw, so he asked a co-worker to confirm. “I think you’ve won a million pounds,” they said. He reportedly refused to believe the good news was real until a representative for the National Lottery showed up with a bottle of champagne and the prize money.
Ian told the outlet, “Due to Nick’s condition, it is more difficult to do even simple things with friends. We always plan ahead to make sure anywhere we go is accessible; it’s an additional layer of worry. This win gives us so many more options.” He explained that he’s the dreamer in the family and always said he would treat everyone if they ever won big. To that end, he is planning a trip to Disneyland with his wife and teenage daughter. “We’re big Star Wars fans, and it’s something we’ve always talked and dreamed about – and now that dream will come true,” he said.