Couple with bad eyesight weren’t aware how much they won in lottery. ‘Life-changing’

Inspired by a reality TV show, a 73-year-old man and his wife are buying scratch-off lottery tickets for the first time.

And with the third scratcher he’s ever purchased, he won a massive jackpot.

The man from Ottawa County, Michigan, said he purchased a $10 Holiday Wishes scratch-off ticket when he saw winners from an episode of “My Lottery Dream Home” had won playing instant games.

“When we purchased it, the cashier joked, ‘Remember me when you win big!’” the lottery player said, according to a Feb. 14 news release from the Michigan Lottery.

But when the couple scratched off the ticket, they had trouble determining how much they won. Because of their bad eyesight, the wife thought they won $5, while the husband thought it was a $500 win, he told lottery officials.

They had actually won $500,000 — the game’s jackpot prize.

“We called our son, and the first thing he said was, ‘This is a huge life-changing event!’ Winning truly is going to be life-changing for us,” the winner said.

The $500,000 prize is one of three offered in Holiday Wishes, which also offers 13 $2,000 prizes.

The couple plans on using their winnings to take a trip to Paris, pay bills and donate to charity, lottery officials said.

Ottawa County is about 25 miles west of Grand Rapids.

This story was originally published February 14, 2024 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Couple with bad eyesight weren’t aware how much they won in lottery. ‘Life-changing’."