Stunned grandma can’t believe Illinois lottery jackpot win. ‘It was real after all’

A grandma plans to spoil her eight grandchildren after winning a big Illinois Lottery jackpot, officials say.

The $250,000 win was a long time coming for the grandmother, a taxi driver from Litchfield, the Illinois Lottery said in a Tuesday, Feb. 20, news release.

“I’ve always dreamed about what I would do if I won a lot of money, and now, my dreams will soon be a reality,” Lisa Tyrrell said, according to lottery officials.

Tyrrell purchased the $250,000 Crossword scratch-off ticket at a convenience store in Litchfield, where she is a frequent customer.

When she scratched it off, she had difficulty believing she won one of the game’s top prizes.

“I scratched off the ticket and it showed I won $250,000. I said, ‘No way, this can’t be real,’” Tyrrell told lottery officials. “Sure enough, I scanned it not once, not twice, but three times, and it was real after all!”

Tyrrell, who calls herself “the luckiest woman alive,” plans to buy a car and a house.

Her grandchildren will also reap the benefits.

“I am so excited to be able to use a portion of the money to spoil them a little bit,” she told lottery officials.

There are 16 jackpot prizes in the $250,000 Crossword game. Odds of winning a $250,000 prize are 1-in-719,227.50.

Litchfield is about 55 miles northeast of St. Louis.

This story was originally published February 20, 2024 at 3:06 PM with the headline "Stunned grandma can’t believe Illinois lottery jackpot win. ‘It was real after all’."