A hard-working woman said seven life-changing words to her shellshocked mum after she won £1million.
Toni Henderson, 32, from County Durham, admitted the win was a huge relief after a tough few months and was overwhelmed with gratitude for the freedom the win has given her. The payments and admin assistant's winning story started after she bought two Lucky Dip tickets for the Lotto draw on Saturday, April 27.
“I am just a normal person, living payday to payday. The rent has just gone up and I live on my own," she said. "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 did not realise the scale of her win at first (Anthony Devlin)Toni added she "might buy" some Lucky Dips "on the odd Saturday" and did nothing with them until she woke up at 8am the next morning to have a look at the results. "On the odd Saturday I might buy some Lucky Dips on Lotto, which is exactly what I did that afternoon. I didn’t do anything with them until I woke up at eight the next morning and thought I would have a look."
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Toni - who bought her tickets online - was stunned to learn she had won with the numbers 2, 15, 18, 24, 57, 58 and the Bonus Ball was 53. But the scale of her win did not dawn on Toni at first.
"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.”
Toni said she does not have plans to quit work despite the £1million win (Anthony Devlin)The following morning Toni was able to confirm the win with The National Lottery, but that didn't make it feel any more real. Toni admitted it still does not feel real, even with the money safely in the bank.
"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," she added. "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."
While Toni didn't make it into work for a few days following her massive win, she said she has no plans to stop in order to ensure her son grows up to value the importance of hard work. She added: "I texted my manager and said, 'something bizarre has happened at the weekend, can you give me a ring?'.
"When I told him I’d won £1M on The National Lottery at the weekend he could not believe it. I asked to have a few days off to try and get my head around it all. I want to keep working - it gives my son a good upbringing and he can learn the value of working hard.
Toni sat counting the zeros and was shaking in bed when she realised what the win would mean to her family (Anthony Devlin)"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."
Toni is now looking to the future with a family home and new car on the cards. She continued: "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."
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Treating oneself does not come naturally to Toni, who said she'd rather use her fortune to help others. "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," she said.
"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."
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