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At 5 Years Old, She Donated Her Piggy Bank To Help Others. At 18, She Wins $48M Jackpot

February 6, 2023

A first-time lottery player from northern Ontario has won a $48-million jackpot, becoming the youngest Canadian ever to win such a big prize.

Juliette Lamour / Credit: OLG

Juliette Lamour, a student at Algoma University, bought her winning ticket at a convenience store after her grandfather gave her the idea.

"He said to me: 'You just turned 18, go buy a lotto ticket, test your luck'," Lamour said, when discussing her win at a media event. "So, I did."

Lamour said she had forgotten all about the lottery ticket until she heard news that someone from her hometown had won the jackpot.

When she went to check her ticket through a mobile app, a jingle started to play and "Big Winner" flashed on the screen.

"My colleague fell to his knees in disbelief," Juliette said.

Now here's where the story gets interesting.

Thirteen years ago, SooToday published a heartwarming story about two young sisters emptying their piggy bank to help people in need.

Juliette and Sophie / Credit: SooToday.com

Lamour had recently turned 5 and a catastrophic earthquake had just hit Haiti leaving much of the country in ruins.

Lamour was determined to help. She had heard that the Canadian Red Cross would be taking donations and asked her mom, Mary, if she could donate her savings.

She donated everything she had in her piggy bank, a total of $61.38.

That five-year-old girl who happily donated all her savings to charity is now $48 million richer.

During the check presentation on Feb. 3, Lamour was asked about that story: "Is the universe somehow rewarding you now for your childhood act of kindness?"

"I don't know," she replied. "Everyone that's reached out to us has always been so positive. I just keep hearing: 'You know, good things happen to good people. Everything happens for a reason.' I don't know why this happened, but I'm really just so grateful and I'm planning to do good things with the winnings."

Lamour says she plans to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor.