A Nottinghamshire woman known as a ‘Lotto baby’ has started school. Rebecca Brown, 44, funded her IVF treatment with her National Lottery jackpot winnings. In August 2016, Rebecca and her family syndicate won a remarkable £1 million, with her share amounting to £250,000.
However, Rebecca faced a health crisis two years later when routine tests revealed pre-cancerous cells in her cervix. Doctors advised her to consider having children “sooner rather than later,” raising concerns about a potential hysterectomy. As a result, she chose to use £12,000 of her lottery winnings for IVF treatment. After two rounds, she became pregnant and gave birth to her daughter Ethel in January 2020, shortly before the UK entered a nationwide Covid-19 lockdown. Due to the pandemic, Ethel had limited opportunities to go outside, but she has now begun her school journey.
Rebecca shared her feelings about Ethel starting school, saying, “There were lots of tears.” Since her lottery win, she has reduced her work hours and now only works two days a week. With no mortgage, she feels less financial pressure, allowing her to spend more quality time with Ethel. “I am with her at the beginning of the day and when she comes home. She knows if she needs me while at school, I will be there for her,” Rebecca explained.
Ethel has been raised with support from her family, including her father David, 68, her mother Yvonne, 67, and her sister Julie, 41, who were also part of the lottery syndicate. Grandfather David expressed the family’s affection for Ethel, stating, “We all idolize Ethel. She is the center of our universe, and the win now means much, much more to us.”
Rebecca emphasized the deeper significance of her lottery win, stating, “Some people think winning the National Lottery means fast cars or big houses. But the win’s gift to me is that it has helped make a little person, who I love to spend all my time with.” She added, “Our win wasn’t just life-changing; it was life-giving. Without question, she is the best thing I spent my winnings on. It made having IVF easier.”
She reflected on the joy of giving birth, calling it “the biggest and best day of my life.” After Ethel’s birth, Rebecca moved in with her parents as the country went into lockdown. “It was strange,” she recalled. “I initially struggled with the fact that all my plans of enjoying those first few months disappeared. But lockdown created an amazing bond between us all.”
Rebecca enjoys spending quality time with Ethel, participating in activities like cooking, baking, drawing, reading, and going to the park. “My mum, dad, and sister enjoy doing the same too,” she noted. David even learned to climb through tunnels at soft play, showing his dedication to spending time with his granddaughter.
“Ethel is grounded and certainly not spoilt. She is mischievous, naughty, spirited, kind, caring, and sometimes bends the rules. She is perfect,” Rebecca described.
The family continues to play the National Lottery weekly, using the same numbers. David splurged on an Aston Martin with some of his winnings but sold it after six months, keeping the memory of owning “his dream motor.” They also purchased a holiday home and invested in a four-seater Surrey bike to enjoy rides together.
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