Dad Finds Million-Dollar Ticket While Grabbing Chips for Son

Quick Smiles:

• A dad unknowingly carried a million-dollar lottery ticket in his car for months.
• A craving for chips led to the discovery of the winning ticket.
• The family is now planning to buy their first home and a new pick-up truck.

In a tale that sounds almost too whimsical to be true, Darren Burfitt, a resident of Swansea, Wales, unknowingly drove around with a EuroMillions lottery ticket worth a million dollars tucked away in his car for over four months.

The ticket had become so crumpled during its time in the vehicle that it was unscannable.

The discovery of the ticket came about in the most unexpected way.

Darren’s four-year-old son wanted some chips, and rather than opening a new bag, Darren remembered there was an unfinished packet in the car.

“I didn’t want to open a new bag,” he explained.

With the chips in mind, Darren also decided to grab his collection of National Lottery tickets from the car’s central console.

His family and friends had been urging him for months to check his tickets, especially after an appeal went out to find a missing millionaire from the EuroMillions draw.

As he scanned each ticket using the lottery app on his phone, one of them pinged, revealing a small win of almost five dollars.

“One of the tickets was particularly creased so I thought I would leave that one until the end,” Darren recounted.

It was the crumpled ticket that held the life-changing prize.

“I couldn’t quite believe it…. In fact, I still cannot believe it now.”

His disbelief was understandable, given the ticket’s precarious journey in an unlocked car.

“My car is honestly a shed on wheels, held together with mud. It has almost no value, so I never bother to lock it!”

The potential of losing such a valuable ticket was not lost on him.

Darren’s wife, Gemma, was away when he made the discovery.

“When I called Gemma my voice was shaking so much, she was convinced something had happened to one of the children.”

Now, the family is eagerly planning their future with newfound possibilities.

“The kids will love the pick-up and it will enable us to go on even more adventures as a family.”

Gemma expressed her disbelief and excitement, “I literally have to keep pinching myself… It changes everything and we can finally buy a home of our own.”

Their story unfolded just as another record-breaking EuroMillions jackpot was claimed, highlighting the life-altering potential of a simple lottery ticket.

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