Woman, 76, devastated after realizing she left winning $2,500,000 lottery ticket inside jacket she donated
A 76-year-old Pennsylvania resident discovered her charitable donation could have cost her $2.5 million when her winning lottery ticket mistakenly went to charity. Mildred Simoneriluto contributed to a good cause by giving some of her garments to the Vietnam Veterans of America, a group that provides assistance programs for veterans. The elderly lady carried on with her routine, likely not giving much thought to the jacket until she learned last year that her lottery ticket purchased from a Murrysville grocery store two weeks earlier, in May 2024, had won. This wasn't a small prize but a substantial $2.5 million sum - enough to transform her life completely.
Upon discovering her win, Mildred desperately searched for her ticket, only to realize she had left it inside an old jacket pocket donated to the Vietnam Veterans of America. Because the organization sends clothing to various nations worldwide, Mildred's jacket - containing her valuable lottery ticket - might not even be in America anymore.
Speaking to 6abc Philadelphia, Mildred expressed her feelings about the situation. "I was stupefied," she explained. "I was- there's no words for it. It was like beyond expression - 'how can I get it back?'"
Mildred admitted she placed the ticket in her jacket to remember it, but unfortunately, this well-intentioned plan backfired. Pennsylvania lottery officials informed Mildred she must present the physical ticket to claim her jackpot, and with the May 8 deadline approaching, her time is running short.
In her attempts to solve this problem, Mildred has visited the grocery store where she bought the ticket several times, but staff members haven't been able to help her.
Though she forgot where she put the ticket, Mildred clearly remembers her winning numbers: 14, 22, 33, 35, and 38. With limited options available, Mildred asked: "What else can I do? Cry out loud and hope that something will happen positive on my end?"
Let's hope fortune smiles upon Mildred, especially after her charitable donation turned out to be far more valuable than she ever expected!
