It was the middle of the night when 69-year-old Donald Heilig learned that he was a lucky lottery winner.
“I woke up at 2:30 a.m. and pulled up the winning numbers before I laid back down,” he told Michigan lottery officials, according to a May 6 news release.
Heilig, of Macomb County, bought the winning Lucky for Life ticket ahead of the April 19 drawing and successfully matched the numbers on the five white balls, the lottery said.
He recently accepted his prize in a lump sum of $390,000.
“It really was hard to know if I was dreaming or if I had really won big because it was the middle of the night,” he said.
The winner waited hours to confirm his win, asking his wife to look at the ticket to ensure he wasn’t dreaming.
“We must have checked the ticket at least 10 times before we came to claim the prize,” Heilig told officials.
Heilig plans to buy his wife a car and save the remainder of his winnings, according to lottery officials.
Macomb County is about a 40-mile drive northeast of Detroit.
Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
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