A woman who endured years of personal tragedy has described her new daughter as a 'miracle' after giving birth just months after winning an £836,000 lottery jackpot and being given the all-clear from cancer.
A Turn of Fortune
Lauren Tomlinson, 34, saw her life transform dramatically in less than a year. After being warned that cancer treatment might prevent her from having a family, she was declared cancer-free. Then, in December of last year, her fortunes soared when she won a massive £836,000 playing the People's Postcode Lottery in Rotherham.
The winning postcode was S65 3QP, which was drawn for the £17.5 million Postcode Millions prize. Lauren, who was three months pregnant at the time, managed to double her share of the prize to the huge sum by playing with two tickets, each worth £418,057.
A Precious Early Arrival
Lauren's journey to motherhood faced one final challenge. Her daughter, Elizabeth, was born nine weeks early via an emergency Caesarean section on April Fools' Day this year. Doctors had warned Lauren that the baby would be very small, might not breathe on her own, and would need immediate specialist care.
"Then we just heard a little yelp," Lauren recalled. "Then she set off proper crying." Baby Elizabeth weighed a tiny 3lbs at birth, but her strong cry was a welcome sound of health.
Overcoming Six Years of Heartache
The joyful arrival of baby Elizabeth marks a profound new chapter for Lauren, closing a difficult six-year period marked by immense personal loss and health struggles.
Her brother, Dale, died by suicide before Lauren herself received a cancer diagnosis. In a further cruel twist of fate, her mother, Andrea, was diagnosed with kidney cancer in April last year, and her father, Darren, suffered a stroke in July 2024.
Her life began to change when she met her partner, Brandon Banks, and their future was secured with the life-changing lottery win. Lauren says the money has brought her family safety and security. "I just feel secure that all my future is going to be alright. I can literally fulfil every dream," she said.
She has already used the funds to open her own shop, expanding her baking business, and has booked a family holiday to Jamaica for January with Brandon and their new baby.
