June 18 (UPI) -- An Irish woman said her family's lottery ticket spent almost a week forgotten in her purse before she discovered it was a nearly $11 million winner.
The County Kerry woman told National Lottery officials her family, who often buy lottery tickets together, had heard there was a big winner in the April 18 Lotto drawing, but they never considered the ticket they had purchased was the jackpot winner.
"A few days passed and I was checking my ticket for the following Wednesday's draw when I spotted the ticket in my handbag," the woman recalled. "It dawned on me that I forgot to check Saturday's numbers."
The woman was stunned to discover her family's ticket had won $10,951,187.91 -- the largest Lotto jackpot ever won in Kerry.
"It was such a surreal moment when you realize you have won. Without even thinking about it I just started hopping all over the living room in delight. It's so funny to think I was walking around with the winning ticket in my bag for almost a week," the woman said.
The family had to wait two months to cash in their prize due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were finally able to visit lottery headquarters this week.
The family said they have not decided how to spend their winnings.
