Hospital Worker Sells Car for £1 to Friend After Winning £1 Million Lottery
A 56-year-old hospital worker from Leicestershire, Deborah Burgess, had an unexpected stroke of luck when she won £1 million in the lottery but remained oblivious to her newfound wealth for two months. The revelation came in October after a timely email tip prompted her to check her lottery tickets.
Deborah, a medical records administrator, had purchased a batch of lottery tickets in August 2023 and won the August 19 drawing. Reflecting on the life-changing moment, she shared, “I finally found time to catch up after a difficult few months and was checking my emails at home – there were a lot of them after not going online for a while.”
Initially skeptical, Deborah thought the email might be a scam. However, she confirmed her win in October 2023, just before heading off on a holiday to Corfu. To celebrate her newfound fortune, she treated herself to a used Hyundai and made a generous gesture by selling her 2008 Peugeot to her best friend, Louise Smith, for a symbolic £1.
“I wasn’t going to sell my car, but my friend wanted to buy it from me. She wanted to pay the price, but because I won, I only sold it to her for a pound. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to do this,” Deborah remarked.
With her winnings, Deborah has prioritized items on her bucket list, including a dream trip to Hawaii. Additionally, she plans to convert a bedroom into a bathroom for her mother, replace garden fencing damaged by a hurricane, and invest in further renovations for her country home in Cornwall. The fortunate winner also expressed her intention to assist her son in pursuing his post-graduate plans after his graduation this summer.
“This is an important year for Nathan academically, but life after university is important too, and I hope that with this win I can help him with whatever he wants,” she added.
