Man wins $5M lottery jackpot on birthday, thanks to ma’s advice

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Always listen to your mother’s advice.

A lucky man from New York City celebrated his 28th birthday with $5 million (P249 million) worth of winnings from a local lottery, and he owes his birthday windfall to his mother.

Patrick Clarke told ABC News that his mother, Andrea, handed him $50 (P 2,400) on Dec. 19 to run an errand at a grocery store. With the extra cash she had given him as an advance birthday present, she advised her son to scratch off a lottery ticket for good luck.

The next day, which happened to be his birthday, he heeded his mom’s advice and purchased two $10 (P498) “Set for Life” scratch-off tickets. At the time, 16 was the lucky number, and Clarke couldn’t believe that he scratched off the only ticket bearing the number. “I forgot the ticket was in my pocket and scratched it off 30 minutes later,” he narrated. “And that’s when it all happened.”

“At first I didn’t believe him,” Andrea described the time he rang her to tell the good news. “I said, ‘Are you sure, check the ticket again.’ He said, ‘Ma, I know what kind of ticket it is because you always are buying this ticket.'”

From $5 million, his take-home pay dwindled down to just $2.45 million (P122 million) after taxes were deducted. Despite his jackpot prize, Clarke, a father of two, will not quit his job as an employee for an American airline.

“It happens when you least expect it,” he said. “It happens when the time is right [and] when the blessings come to you. I guess I’m just happy to be blessed.”  Gianna Francesca Catolico/rga