In a twist of fate that surpassed her wildest dreams, a Cary woman's spur-of-the-moment decision to purchase a different lottery ticket than initially intended brought her a windfall of $1 million. The Illinois Lottery shared that the winner, who opted for anonymity and dubbed herself "Wishing Fish," had chosen a $10 Ultimate Bonus Payout ticket at a local Jewel-Osco and struck gold. According to ABC 7 Chicago, the fortuitous ticket caught her eye as she deliberated her options, standing out as the one for her.
"As I looked over the other options, this ticket stood out. It was as if my vision blocked out all the other tickets—this one was meant to be," the winner told ABC 7 Chicago. Celebrating her win with a chocolate bar and the aptly titled song "Money" by Pink Floyd in the background, the reality of her newfound fortune set in. "I scratched the last symbol and immediately FaceTimed my son, repeating over and over, 'I'm going to have a heart attack—I just won $1 million!'," "Wishing Fish" recounted. Meanwhile, the store that sold the lucrative ticket is slated to receive a $10,000 bonus, a modest 1% of the prize total, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
The winner's intentions extend beyond personal gain as she has expressed the desire to spread the joy amongst her kin. She plans to distribute part of her winnings among roughly 15 family members, with the lion's share going to her three adult children. Moreover, she aims to assist a close friend, a parent to four, with acquiring an apartment. Such gestures reflect a spirit eager to uplift those within her orbit as her newfound resources instill a sense of responsibility and generosity.
In a stroke of self-indulgence permissible for someone who's beaten the odds, "Wishing Fish" also told ABC 7 Chicago about her wish to tick items off her bucket list, including purchasing a sunroof-equipped car and swimming with dolphins in the Keys alongside her husband. Her win counts as the 35th Illinois Lottery scratch-off prize of $1 million or more in the year 2025, amidst a surge of over 35 million winning scratch-off tickets sold in Illinois that have rewarded players with more than $937 million in total prizes, as per statistics shared by FOX 32 Chicago.
