For one couple in their 30s, it’s been one huge life event after another: a new baby, a job promotion, and a life-changing $70 million lottery win.
It’s been an overwhelming couple of weeks for Jennifer Stuart-Flynn, 33, and Kyle Murray, 39, of Iroquois Falls, Ontario. The couple had just returned from a hospital in Toronto after Stuart-Flynn had just had their baby after a high-risk pregnancy.
Murray is originally from the US but has lived in Canada for several years. He works from home in the financial technology industry. His mom had just flown in to meet their new baby. Stuart-Flynn had texted him, asking him to buy a Lotto Max ticket after she saw that the jackpot had reached $70 million, so Murray purchased one while at the gas station.
Jennifer Stuart-Flynn and Kyle Murray (OLG)
“I’ve maybe gotten five or six tickets in my entire life,” said Stuart-Flynn. “And this was [his] first time ever buying a lottery ticket.”
So, as a reminder, Murray put the ticket on the fridge to be checked after the draw.
Stuart-Flynn recalled sitting at their table, having cereal and scrolling through Facebook when she discovered someone had won the jackpot in their area. So, she used the OLG app to scan their lottery ticket.
“I took a big breath, and I stopped. I closed the app, I reopened it, and I did it again,” she recalled. “And I was like, ‘Uh, Kyle.’ And he was like, ‘What? Did we win?’ And I was like, ‘I think we might have won.’”
Jennifer Stuart-Flynn (OLG)
After matching the winning numbers 02, 11, 12, 21, 24, 38, and 39 in the August 20 Lotto Max draw, the couple was stunned to discover they were now $70 million richer.
At first, Murray wasn’t sure if the screen showed them the maximum prize or the amount they had won. But when he realized what it meant, he said, “I felt light-headed, and that sensation ran through my whole body!”
They shared the happy news with Murray’s mom and took the family to a local restaurant for a “secret celebration.”
“We wanted to shout the news, but we knew that in our small town, this type of news would travel very fast. We had to be careful not to spill the beans throughout the entire dinner,” Stuart-Flynn laughed.
Kyle Murray (OLG)
With the couple now set for life, they shared what they plan to do with their windfall.
Stuart-Flynn had always dreamed of helping her sister if she ever won the lottery.
“My sister is the most kind, loving, and generous person in the world, so I want to make sure she is taken care of,” she said.
As for Murray, he wants to buy property for the family.
“We want to buy some land to set up a little farm with chickens and a highland cow,” he said. “We hope it will be a place where the kids can have fun and will want to return to as they get older.”
Murray said that the last few years have been a struggle for them and that all they wanted was a better life for their children. Stuart-Flynn said she gets overwhelmed when she thinks of what this win means for their children.
OLG
“I realize that my kids are going to have a way different life than I had growing up, and that’s the part that makes me most emotional,” she said. “It’s because my kids are set, and they will never have to wonder about anything.”
Murray purchased their winning ticket at Esso on Algonquin Boulevard in Timmins.
All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, you can find resources here.