A Win For the Heart

When the clock ticked over to 10:59 on Wednesday morning, Rachel had just settled into her seat in her financial advisor’s office. She looked over at her husband Phil, both of them exchanging an excited smile. Their advisor walked in, folder in hand, armed with a plan that would stretch the couple’s savings through their retirement – little did he know that they were about to drop a savings bomb that would change their retirement plans forever. 

Recalling the day when she first found out, Rachel said that her initial reaction was a mix of shock and disbelief. “I was totally overwhelmed,” she said. “Nothing like this has ever happened to me. And Phil didn’t know that I'd been buying tickets in the Deaf Lottery – so that came as a massive shock to him as well! But the best part was definitely the look on our advisor’s face. He said that this was the best news that had gotten in a very long time!” 

Winning the lottery brought a newfound sense of freedom and possibility for Rachel and her husband. Having spent most of her career in finance administration, she understood the importance of financial security better than most. 

“It's given us some breathing space and has enabled us to pay down our debts,” Rachel explained. “We have been planning for our retirement, but we didn’t expect to have extra money like this.” 

“We are using the winnings to pay down a small mortgage and the cost of a car. We’re going to upgrade our vehicle with the money, all made possible with the Drive Away Lifestyle prize package.” 

Rachel's dedication to supporting the Deaf Lottery stemmed from the love that she had for her own family. “I've been supporting the Deaf Lottery since 2016. The reason why I buy tickets is because I had a cousin who was born deaf in the 1950s. He wasn’t diagnosed straight away, so Auslan (Australian Sign Language) wasn’t made available to him immediately, and he only started learning it in adulthood.” 

“This meant that the start of his journey led him to lip-read rather than sign. He later went on to marry a lovely lady who was also Deaf, but who had access to Auslan from birth. It was fantastic to see their love grow over the years.

“I just knew that the services that Deaf Connect provides are so important, and that’s why the Deaf Lottery is a worthy cause to donate to. It’s about making sure that every person has the right to whatever communication best suits them.” 

Reflecting on her own luck as a winner, Rachel commended the Deaf Lottery's fairness and impact. "I can't believe that I'm fortunate enough to be one of the winners!" she exclaimed. "I think that the Deaf Lottery is a great lottery because, in terms of the number of tickets sold in comparison to the prize, the chances are really good compared to some of the other lotteries out there. Plus, you know that the money is being put towards really important services for Deaf Australians.” 



From all of us at the Deaf Lottery, we wish Rachel all the best with her winnings! It has been a pleasure to give her this wonderful news, and we can't wait to see where it will take her. Your support of the Deaf Lottery allows us to keep on delivering great community projects and initiatives for Deaf Australians across the nation. 

Increase your chances and buy tickets today!