(CNN) A once-homeless California woman went to a Walmart Supercenter for an oil change. Scratching a multi-million dollar lottery ticket changed her luck – and her life.
Lucia Forseth won $5 million in a Scratchers game after buying a ticket at a store in Pittsburg, about 40 miles east of San Francisco, the California Lottery announced on Wednesday.
Forseth said she closed her eyes and pulled a ticket. She opened them and found that she had become an instant millionaire. “You never think you have a chance of winning it,” Forseth said in a California Lottery press release. “It’s just coincidental.”
At first, Forseth thought she’d just won another ticket, “But I checked and it said I won $5 million!” She said.
Her win at the 2023 Scratchers makes her the third winner of the California ticket this year. There are two $5 million tickets left. The odds of winning the game are 1 in 3,088,854 according to the California Lottery.
It’s a Cinderella story for Forseth, who had no place to stay in 2017.
“Having been homeless six years ago, I never thought something like this would happen to someone like me,” she said.
Forseth said she plans to get married and earn her associate degree this year.
“Hearing a success story like this shows the positive impact our games are having on winners and schools alike,” said Carolyn Becker, spokeswoman for the California Lottery.