Winning the lottery accompanies delivery of healthy baby boy

By Kate Northrop

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — A Florida couple won the lottery twice — first with a $1 million scratch-off prize, and then second with the delivery of a healthy baby boy three weeks later.

The Florida Lottery announced last Tuesday that a Florida man collected a $1 million prize on a scratch-off game while accompanied by his then-pregnant partner and their family dog.

John Stanhill, 46, of Jacksonville, had no idea that the $50 investment he made in a "500X The Cash" scratch-off ticket would turn out to be worth a million dollars, nor did he imagine that such a big win would come at the perfect time.

After winning the $1 million prize from the ticket he bought at Duval Exxon on Third North Street in Jacksonville Beach, he claimed it as a one-time lump sum payment of $640,000. The retailer received a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the ticket.

Stanhill was accompanied by Victoria Oakley and their pet dog, Maya, when he visited Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee to claim the prize. With their baby due in three weeks, it was fantastic timing.

"This just couldn't have happened at a better time!" Stanhill told the Lottery.

The Lottery recently caught up with the pair, who have since been very busy with their newborn.

"We won the lottery — and then we won the lottery again with our beautiful, healthy baby boy!" Oakley said. "All in three weeks' time!"

"Our lottery win has been such a huge relief for us," the couple continued. "We've been able to fully focus on being new parents by putting our financial worries at ease. We were able to start a college fund for our baby and plan on paying off student loans. We are over the moon with everything that's happened!"

The Florida Lottery's $50 "500X The Cash" instant game, which launched in January, offers two top prizes of $25 million and more than 10 million winning tickets in circulation. Following Stanhill's claim, there are 125 out of 160 second-tier prizes of $1 million left to claim. There are also 285 out of 372 third-tier prizes of $50,000 remaining.

The odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 4.23.

(Click to display full-size in gallery)John Stanhill and Victoria Oakley with their pet dog, Maya, when they visited Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee to claim the prize.

(Click to display full-size in gallery)The happy couple "won the lottery" a second time with the delivery of a healthy baby boy three weeks later.