A Canadian teenager winning the lottery big time demonstrated that it pays to listen to your elders and that karma works in glorious ways.
Juliette Lamour–a teen from Ontario, Canada who had just turned 18–became the youngest girl in Canada ever to win the big jackpot through the lottery and she has her grandfather to thank for her extremely lucky fortune.
On the weekend of her 18th birthday, Lamour decided to visit her granddad when neither her parents nor sister was available.
When she called up and asked her granddad what kind of ice cream he would like for her to bring, he suggested the birthday girl treat herself to buying a lottery ticket instead.
"You just turned 18. Go buy a lotto ticket," she recalled him telling her, "Test your luck."
So Lamour did just that and bought her first-ever lottery ticket at a Circle K store in Sault Ste. Marie.
It turned out to be the best advice ever given to her.
The pharmacist assistant found out she won $48 million CAD ($36 million USD) while she was at work on January 7.
Lamour described the scene at work after her boss verified the winning ticket on a lottery app and a jingle announced the ticket holder was the "Big Winner."
"My colleague fell to his knees in disbelief."
"He was screaming, in fact everyone was screaming that I had won $48 million."
She continued telling reporters:
"At first, I didn't understand what was going on. I couldn't take in the news."
"We made quite a scene in the store that day."
Who can blame them?
You can watch a news report video here.
She said everyone who has reached out told her, "Good things happen to good people," and "Everything happens for a reason."
The teen said of luck being on her side:
"I don't know why this happened."
"But I'm just really so grateful, and I’m planning to do good things with the winnings.”"
In addition to beginner's luck, it appears karma also worked in her favor.
Thirteen years ago, she was praised in the media after she and her sister donated their piggy bank worth $61 at a hockey game towards relief efforts following the January 10, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.
Lamour was only five when she agreed to the philanthropic decision to prioritize the needs of others before her own.
After hitting the jackpot, Lamour's mother had a difficult time understanding what her daughter was trying to convey given the range of emotions she was feeling when she called her folks.
"Fortunately, my father managed to decode that I had won the jackpot in the lottery," said Lamour.
"I knew I couldn't concentrate on my work anymore and my boss told me to go home, but my mom wanted me to finish my day."
"My colleagues shouted 'Come and get her,' and my parents finally came."
Lamour told CBS News she plans on becoming a doctor in Ontario after graduating college.
As far as her huge winnings go, she said she will invest some of it.
Fortunately, her father is a financial advisor.
And in terms of sharing the wealth, Lamour said she will keep "friends and family in mind."
She added:
"When school is over, my family and I will choose a continent and go explore it."
"I'm not one to spend my days at the beach. I want to visit different countries, learn about their history and culture, taste food and listen to people speak their language."
Lamour concluded by sharing her age-belying wisdom.
"Money doesn't define you," she said. "It's the work you do that will define you."
Spoken like a true winner.
@thekalenallen/Threads
U.S. Mint
