Maryland teacher wins $50K off lottery ticket husband bought to lift her spirits

FREDERICK, Md. - A Maryland husband’s small gesture has paid off in a big way: The $5 scratch-off ticket he bought to cheer up his wife Robyn Mejia was worth $50,000.

The couple told Maryland Lottery they play "maybe once a year," but he brought it home for Mejia when the veteran elementary school teacher was having a rough week.

It won the top prize.

Robyn Mejia of Frederick celebrates her $50,000 Ca$h to Go! scratch-off win. (Maryland Lottery)

They were so shocked, they scanned it at a store "just to be sure it was real," then had a family member come over and scan the ticket again on the lottery app.

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Now, the family is $50,000 closer to buying a new house.

"We have been saving money for a down payment on a house, thinking we would be ready by the end of the year," said the 39-year-old mother of two. "But now, we don’t have to wait!"

The 7-Eleven in Thurston, Maryland that sold the winning ticket will also receive a $500 prize.