Life-changing photo amuses Mississauga man whose wife had just won the lottery

Even photographic evidence wasn’t enough, at first, to convince Michele Kloesel’s husband that the Mississauga couple’s lives had just taken a big turn for the better — financially speaking.

Kloesel, 55, had just discovered her ticket in the Aug. 15 Lotto Max draw was a Maxmillions winner worth $500,000 and, naturally, she wanted to share the life-changing news with her husband right away.

Moments after scanning her ticket at the store to learn it was one of two winners to split the $1 million Maxmillions prize, the Mississauga mother of two said she quickly took a picture and sent it to her husband.

“He thought it was a joke and completely ignored me at first,” Kloesel laughed while sharing the story with lottery officials in Toronto as she collected her winnings. “When he realized I was serious, he couldn’t believe it. He said his heart skipped a beat.”

The lucky ticket holder also told Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) officials she has been a loyal lottery player with OLG for more than 25 years and this is her first big win.

She added the experience of first learning her ticket was a winner caught her off-guard in the moment.

“I checked it maybe three times,” said Kloesel, who, as always, used the Quick Pick feature to choose her ticket numbers. “I was in total shock.

“It’s a surreal feeling. I’m just speechless,” she continued. “I’m still in disbelief. This is just unbelievable.”

Kloesel said she plans to take some time to decide what to do with the money.

The winning ticket was purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart, on The West Mall in Etobicoke.

(Cover photo: OLG)