A Cumbrian family has scooped over £524,000 on the EuroMillions.
The Barrow family’s win was all thanks to their toddler’s sweet tooth.
Dad-of-two Valdet Bujupi, 44, was heading home with his three-year-old daughter when she decided she’d like to round off her day out with some sweets.
It was when he was making her day, that he also made his family’s future all the sweeter, buying the winning EuroMillions ticket.
Valdet said: “Our daughter is very persistent when it comes to sweets and, despite trying to stand firm, on the third ‘please Daddy can I have some sweets?’ I caved in and headed into the shop! I’m very pleased I did, if it hadn’t been for her sweet tooth I wouldn’t have bought that Lucky Dip ticket.”
Valdet’s wife, Abbey, 40, discovered that the family could finally put their long dreamed of New York trip into action when Valdet, who had popped out with friends for coffee, called her with the incredible news.
Abbey said: “I was cleaning the bathroom and was not impressed at having to take off my rubber gloves to answer the phone! Valdets’ first words were, ‘book New York, I’ve won the lottery!’
Once home, Valdet and Abbey locked themselves away giggling at their amazing good fortune before sharing the news with their 12-year-old son.
Valdet said: “It was one of the craziest moments trying to convince our son we had won the Lottery. He thought it was a joke and it was only once I showed him the win using The National Lottery app that he was willing to believe us!”
The couple knew they wanted to share the family’s winning moment somewhere memorable so headed to the London Eye with their two children, before making plans for their once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York.
Abbey said: “Coming to London makes it so special for the four of us and is a wonderful way to remind us ‘life is sweet.’ Next stop is New York.
“We have been saving since last Christmas but each time something comes up to scupper our plans, now the thing that has come up is our bank balance! We can finally make New York, and so many other plans, a reality.”
New York is only part of the international flavour of their win. Valdet added: “The benefits of this win are truly worldwide. Although we’re still working out what, the first big present will be something for my mum in Kosovo to make her life a little bit easier. Being able to help my mum comfortably enjoy her older years means so much to us both.”
Valdet and Abbey are pondering a house move at some point in the future to give their children a little more space and some wise investments, which they hope will make university or house deposits a possibility in the future.
Valdet said: “I always believed you have to be in it to win it, and while I only played from time to time, a month ago I dreamt I won the Lottery. Was that a premonition? I don’t know but what I do know, we’re all over the moon, and our daughter, who was already daddy’s princess, has now been promoted to the Queen!”
Andy Carter, senior winners’ advisor at The National Lottery, said: “Whether Valdet’s dream predicting the win or their daughter’s sweet tooth tantrum, congratulations to the Bujupi family.
“They’ve clearly got some amazing and memorable moments ahead and I hope they especially love taking a big bite of the Big Apple.”
Valdet played a Lucky Dip ticket on EuroMillions for the draw on September 5, where he matched five main numbers and one Lucky Star number. The winning numbers for the draw were 27, 30, 31, 41, 43 and the Lucky Star numbers were 05 and 08.
