After receiving the life-changing news of her cancer-free status, a young woman from Iowa has another reason to celebrate—a substantial lottery win.
Lily Miller, a 24-year-old resident of Cedar Falls, learned she was now cancer-free earlier this week. Shortly after, she won a $25,000 jackpot with an X-tra Bingo scratch-off ticket purchased at a local convenience store. This exhilarating turn of events made her the 12th jackpot winner of the game.
“I was already in shock with the first bit, and then I was like, ‘There’s no way I won the lottery on top of it!’ What are the odds?” Miller remarked to Iowa Lottery officials, highlighting her disbelief and excitement.
The X-tra Bingo game, which costs $2 per ticket, offers odds of 1 in 242,140 to win the $25,000 top prize, with a total of 26 jackpot prizes available.
Initially skeptical about her win, Miller scrutinized her ticket closely. “I convinced myself I wasn’t counting the zeroes right,” she recalled. “I took a screenshot and zoomed in as far as I could. I’m like, ‘OK, that’s three zeroes after the number 25. Holy cow!’”
In an April Facebook post, Miller disclosed her diagnosis of Stage 2B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which she received in February. During her battle with cancer, Miller moved back into her mother’s home. But with the victory over her illness and a newfound financial boost, she is now looking forward to restarting her life independently.
“Being able to have that money to move out of my mom’s house and find a job and be able to kind of press play on life again because everything got put on hold—having that money there is going to make it a lot less stressful,” Miller expressed. “I don’t think it could’ve come at a better time.”
Cedar Falls, the city where Miller resides, is situated approximately 60 miles northwest of Cedar Rapids.
While the story is joyous for Miller, it’s important to remember that gambling can have severe consequences for some individuals. If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, help is available through the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
