$50,000 Powerball ticket spent over a month forgotten in winner's purse

Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A Missouri woman said she was shocked when a Powerball ticket that was forgotten in her purse for over a month turned out to be a $50,000 winner.

The St. Louis County woman told Missouri Lottery officials she bought a Powerball ticket for the July 16 drawing at the Walmart store in Manchester and tucked it into her purse, where it soon became forgotten.

The woman said it wasn't until she visited a store to check a different Powerball ticket that she found the forgotten slip of paper in her purse and decided to scan it.

The ticket, which had spent more than a month in her bag, turned out to be a $50,000 winner.

"I am just so grateful and happy," the winner said.

She said some of the money will go toward paying off her student loans.

"It's a good present for me," she said.