Welsh mum wins £300,000 Lottery prize after terrible year that saw husband die and house flooded

A mother who lost her husband to cancer in 2021 has won £300,000 through the National Lottery with her two sons.

Caroline Walsh, 58, from Pontypool, bought a Super 7s Scratchcard on the way to a doctor’s appointment, realising she had won the top prize while sitting in the surgery waiting room.

Ms Walsh plays the National Lottery with her sons, who will each take a share of the spoils.

The former lollipop lady lost her husband Mike to cancer in 2021 – she then had a lupus attack, and, while in hospital, her bungalow flooded.

“Mike and I always used to play the National Lottery together and talk about what we’d do if we won,” she said.

“He would have loved all of this. He always said he wanted us to move to Spain if we won but for now, I think he’ll be happy knowing that I’m going to be taken care of.”

Ms Walsh said she plans to use her winnings to transform her garden.

“Last year was awful, but things are definitely improving,” she said.

“The first thing I’m going to do is transform my garden. I want to make it into a space that’s easy to manage and somewhere I can enjoy when the sun shines.

“I’ve already bought some little treats for my grandchildren and I’m going to put some money aside for all of them.

“My husband and I have had a caravan for years in Brean Sands in Somerset. We had such a lovely community of friends there and I’m looking forward to going back to celebrate in a place where I have such happy memories.”

Meanwhile, Chris, 40, Ms Walsh’s eldest son, said he would be putting some of the money towards a family holiday.

“I couldn’t believe it when my mum called, I was absolutely ecstatic,” he said.

“£100K is an amazing amount of money and I can’t wait to put it towards a family holiday and plenty of treats for my partner and our children.”