Mother who was struggling to afford Christmas presents for her15-year-old son wins £1million on the lottery
- Karen Dakin, 54, and her husband Jeff, 60, scooped £1million prize this year
- She said she received money from her father to pay for her son’s gifts previously
- The family were left with tight budget after Jeff suffered a stroke at work in 2018
- Now though, Karen can afford to buy presents for her son thanks to the big win
A mother has expressed her relief at being able to afford Christmas presents for her son after scooping a £1million lottery jackpot earlier this year.
Karen Dakin, 54, and her husband Jeff, 60, won £1million on the National Lottery just hours before Mother’s Day this year on March 13.
However, the former playground supervisor has revealed that during a previous year’s celebrations she received money from her father to help buy her son Callum’s Christmas presents after Jeff suffered a stroke at work in 2018.
Jeff had been working as an NHS storeman at Ipswich Hospital when he suffered his stroke.
Speaking to The Mirror, she said: ‘We had always struggled, so my dad gave us money that Christmas to help with Callum’s presents.’
And speaking earlier this year, Karen, from Ipswich, Suffolk, said that Jeff had stayed in hospital for a month as he recovered.
After winning the lottery though, Karen has been able to quit her job and ensure her 15-year-old son has a secure future ahead of him.
In addition, the family were able to swap their two-bed rental property for a five-bed bungalow following their big win.
And now, looking to the future, Karen said she and her family are planning a holiday to Portugal, as her son has never been on a plane, and she is determined to create lasting memories for him.
t comes after earlier this month, when an ex-Sheffield United footballer who won a £1million lottery jackpot after being forced to give up his career due to a knee injury said he will travel the world with his girlfriend.
Terry Kennedy, 28, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, played for Sheffield United and Harrogate Town and was a teammate of Manchester United captain Harry Maguire before having to leave the game in 2016.
A video of the moment he was informed of the life-changing win on the phone by an employee at lottery operators Camelot was shared widely on social media last month.
Mr Kennedy celebrated the win with his girlfriend Kay Yoxall with a week’s holiday in Tenerife and a long weekend in Dublin. But the couple are now planning a much bigger trip.
He said today: ‘I don’t enjoy building sites during the winter so am planning to get away and see the world.
‘Kay can take a break from work so we’d love to go across America, see Australia and also South East Asia.
‘We already have New York booked for January. The ideal plan would be never to work a British Winter again!’
Mr Kennedy only matched two numbers in the main Lotto draw, but that automatically gave him a free ‘Lucky Dip’ entry into the following Wednesday’s draw.
His second ticket matched the five main numbers and the bonus number in the November 10 results, meaning Mr Kennedy had won £1million.
Mr Kennedy, who now makes a living working on building sites, discovered he had won when he checked his ticket during his lunch break at work.
