From unwavering support to unexpected winnings 

John’s Thursday evening was the same as any other: start the drive home back to his wife and try to unwind after a long and exhausting work shift. Like most labourers, John doesn’t check his phone during the work day. So, it seemed fitting that on this random Thursday, John had no idea about the 20 missed calls from the Lottery team which would change his life forever. 

In fact – he didn’t end up finding out that he won through the phone at all, assuming that all the missed calls were simply a wrong number.  

“I actually found out through my email. I was scrolling through my inbox and noticed that at the top, I had about 5 missed ones from the Deaf Lottery – and they were saying that I was the winner! I obviously didn’t believe a word of it at first. Good things like this don’t happen to people like me. So I called the number on the screen and hey presto, it really was them.” 

Sharing the news with his family was a surreal moment. At 62, with retirement looming, the winnings brought a sense of relief. 

“I was working six days a week to keep saving money for a new place for my wife and I to spend our retirement,” he said.  

“Now everything feels so surreal. I don’t have to work Saturdays. I’ve been spending more time at home with my loved ones. I can start taking a bit of a breather in life and actually enjoying it.” 
The couple can now ease into their golden years of retirement – all without the worry of where the money is going to come from. 

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so we're going to look after it. Now with all of this extra financial help, we want to buy a few acres of land and move. And it’s great because the drive away prize option meant that I also got a brand-new Toyota Prado! It's been so many years of hard work. Now it’s our time to relax.” 

But amidst the excitement, John's heart remained grounded. Buying tickets wasn't just about luck—it was about supporting a cause close to his heart and helping others. 

“If you're going to buy tickets, make sure it's for something worthwhile,” John advised. “It's great to have the peace of mind knowing where the money goes. At the end of the day, I just wanted to help the community. I never would’ve thought that it would have taken me to where I am today.” 

On behalf of all of us at Deaf Connect and the Deaf Lottery, we wish John a big congratulations on his win. The generosity and kindness of Deaf Lottery supporters like John ensure that Deaf Connect can continue to provide essential services to the Deaf Community across Australia. We thank John for his support and wish him all the best in the future.