How $800,000 changed this Mum’s life

We caught up with Lottery 190 First Prize winner Freya* to chat about what her life-changing $830,000 windfall has meant for her and her family.

Now you’ve had a chance to process it, can you tell us what it felt like to receive that winning phone call?

Receiving that phone call was so surreal. It’s hard to comprehend that you’ve won that much money! My youngest came home first after school and I was outside waiting (which I never am!) so he knew something was up straight away.

I asked him to sit down – again, not something I usually do – and I told him I’d received a life-changing phone call from the Deaf Lottery and we’d won $830,000! He actually cried, he couldn’t believe it and we hugged and talked it all through.

My eldest son got home at 6pm after work and I asked him to come near me so I could tell him something.

He said, “Just tell me mum – you’re being weird!”

I walked over to him and grabbed his arms (he’s taller than me) and told him the news and he just hugged me and said wow …

We jumped on realestate.com.au to look at houses together until after 10pm that night. We’re normally all in bed by 9pm because we all have to get up early, but not that night!

Have you decided what prize option you will go with and what you will do with it? 

I’d decided early on that the ‘Mortgage Buster’ option was going to be my prize choice so I could get a new car and purchase our own home.

My car is seven years old so one Saturday I took a day off work and arranged delivery of a new Hybrid Camry and then my boys and I went to an open house … and signed the contract on a house 15 minutes away from where we currently rent.

It’s so amazing to think we will own our own home, mortgage-free and never have to worry about rental inspections again!

What has winning the Lottery meant to you and your family?

It honestly is a life-changing experience for us as we would never have been able to save up a house deposit with the high rent we pay each fortnight.

It has changed our lives to be able to own our own home and to have a new car. I’ve also lent my eldest son money to buy a 4WD which he needs for his apprenticeship, so it’s also helped set him up earlier than we thought.

Why did you decide to begin supporting Deaf Lottery? How did it feel to learn you’d won an extra $30k just through being a Deaf Lottery VIP?

I felt so lucky to think that because I support such a worthwhile charity I also won an extra $30k! I support both the Deaf Lottery and Guide Dogs as I tell my boys you can’t replace your eyes or ears, so always look after them.

I was happy to support and becoming a VIP just makes it easier – having the tickets come out automatically each time, knowing you won’t miss any draws and also having the chance to win that extra money on top of your win!

And you just never know if it’s you who will get a life-changing call like I did. You have to be in it to win it!

From all of us at Deaf Connect, we would like to thank Freya for supporting Deaf Australians, and wish her and her family all the best for a very bright future!

If you would like your chance to win $800,000, you can purchase your $2 ticket online at www.deaflottery.com.au

*Name changed to protect anonymity