Fifty-year-old Penny Reep bought a scratch-off ticket that she called a “pipe dream,” but that dream became a reality when she won $3 million. Now, she plans to take her terminally ill husband on his dream vacation.
According to a Pennsylvania Lottery statement, the Armstrong County woman was out for a dentist appointment when she bought the ticket Oct. 16.
“It was always a pipe dream,” she stated. But when she found out how much she had won, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
“I scratched the $30 ticket and thought, ‘I’m not seeing this right,’” she said.
Reep explained how winning hit her, “I grabbed the counter and started crying.”
It was an emotional time for her especially because her husband, Pat, has a rare incurable form of cancer. He had a large tumor removed, but Reep told lottery officials, “We don’t know how long we have with him.”
According to WTAE abc 4 News, Pat always wanted to go to Alaska, and so that is where Reep plans to take him. “Now, I’m going to be able to give him everything he’s always wanted,” she noted.
She also explained how she told him about their big win, stating, “When I got home, I left everything in the car.”
“He always meets me at the door when I get home, no matter what. I walked in, and I hugged him and I just told him we’re going to be OK,” she added.
Reep noted how difficult it has been while also expressing a desire to use some of the earnings for charity. She said, “It’s been a true struggle mentally, physically, financially, emotionally, and now we’re actually able to help give back again to people that helped us through our roughest time.”
The Reeps also plan to use some of the winnings to visit their children and grandchildren.
