$2.5M lotto win will help couple find mother in refugee camp

Two St. John's residents originally from South Sudan have won the largest prize ever awarded on a scratch ticket in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Angelina and Edward Lado got their $2.5-million cheque at an Atlantic Lotto Corp. presentation on Friday.

I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't stop screaming.- Angelina Lado

"I feel happy and excited and nervous all together," said Angelina Lado, who accepted the cheque alone while Edward was attending a prior family commitment.

The money will be put to good use. The couple came to Canada 14 years ago, and settled down in St. John's after becoming Canadian citizens. They've now called the city home for 11 years.

Lottery winner originally from South Sudan plans to find mother in refugee camp and reunite

6 years ago

Duration 1:06

Two St. John's residents originally from South Sudan have won the largest prize ever awarded on a scratch ticket in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Edward Lado said his mother, whom he hasn't seen since he was an infant, is in a refugee camp somewhere in Uganda, and he plans to go find her and bring her to St. John's to join him, his wife and four children.

"I will go to find her and hopefully bring her here," he said in a press release. "It's very hard for me to believe that is now possible."

A car, a house and a vacation

The big win came after a simple errand. Angelina Lado, a cook at a local restaurant, said she visited her son at the hospital and on her way home stopped at Marie's Mini Mart on Hamilton Avenue and bought the Multi Millionaire scratch ticket.

"I came home and was watching tennis on the TV and I scratched the ticket, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't stop screaming."

In her excitement she called her husband, who is studying electrical engineering.

"I was like, 'Oh my God,' he was like, 'What happened?'" said Lado.

"Edward couldn't believe me at first. He was like, 'Maybe your eyes just want to see this number'I told Edward we have two, comma, five, zero, zero I just kept saying zero and zero. And he was like, 'Are you sure?' I said, 'Yes, I'm sure.'"

The couple has four children and will put money toward their education, Lado said, and maybe go on a holiday something that never seemed to be in the realm of possibilities.

"I'd like to buy a car, maybe a house," she said.

"I think we would like to take a family vacation."