Who Is Marie Holmes? North Carolina Powerball Winner, Mother Of 4 To Claim Share Of $564M Jackpot

Marie Holmes, a mother of four children, from Shallotte, North Carolina, came forward Thursday as one of the three winners of Wednesday’s $564 million Powerball jackpot, according to reports. The 26-year-old purchased her winning ticket at a Scotchman convenience store and will receive a $188 million share, according to local NBC affiliate WECT-TV in North Carolina.

“I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I saw the ticket and checked it,” said Holmes. “I scared my kids. I was telling them that we didn’t have to struggle no more and I was yelling when I did it, so they said I scared them. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”

Holmes previously worked at McDonald’s and Wal-Mart, but quit her jobs to take care of her four children, one of whom suffers from cerebral palsy, according to NBC News. She plans to use her winnings to eventually pay her children’s college tuition and to purchase a house and car. She will also donate some of the money to her church. “I’m ready for it. I’m ready to embrace the change. I’m very grateful for what’s about to happen for my family,” she said.

The North Carolina Education Lottery stipulates Holmes can either accept the $188 million over a 30-year period or receive her share in a $127 million lump sum before taxes, according to the New York Daily News. The Scotchman store that sold the winning ticket is eligible to receive a $50,000 reward.

Winning Powerball tickets were also sold in Puerto Rico and Texas, though those winners have yet to come forward, according to reports. It was the first time that a winning Powerball ticket has ever been sold outside the continental United States, according to the Associated Press.

Powerball players have a one-in-175 million chance of winning the jackpot. To win, players must match all six numbers randomly selected in a drawing. Wednesday’s winning numbers were 11, 13, 25, 39 and 54.