An unexpected turn of luck brought holiday cheer to a 25-year-old Indiana woman, who won $500,000 on a Detroit Lions scratch-off lottery ticket from the Michigan Lottery. The ticket came to her during a white elephant gift exchange at her family’s Christmas party.
Emily Hickox, whose birthday coincides with Christmas, discovered the life-changing win on her special day.
“The ticket was initially won by my dad during the exchange,” Hickox shared. “I had picked a flashlight he brought as my gift. After the game, he wanted his gift back, so we agreed to trade. That trade turned out to be the best decision ever!”
At first, Hickox thought she’d won $50,000, but after scanning the ticket with the lottery’s app, she was thrilled to learn it was actually worth a whopping $500,000.
The winning ticket was purchased by Hickox’s cousin at the Meijer store on 10 Mile Road in Rockford, Michigan.
A simple holiday tradition turned into a life-changing moment, making this a Christmas—and birthday—that Emily Hickox will never forget.