Ever wonder what the odds are of getting struck by lightning and winning the lottery?
No one quite understands the term "striking it lucky" better than 16-year-old BreAnna Helsel.
The Michigan teen survived being struck by lightning and went on to win $20 in the lottery the next day.
Helsel was at her home in Blanchard, about 50 miles northeast of Grand Rapids, watching thunderstorms roll by on June 6 when she noticed rain entering an open kitchen window.
"She went to close the window and the lightning came through and hit her," her mother, Linda Johnson, told The Daily News of Greenville. "We think it must have hit the house or something."
Helsel struggled to describe the sensation she felt as the electricity passed through her body.
"It felt like when your foot falls asleep," she said.
Helsel said she saw the electricity shoot out of her fingers and into the overhead lights, immediately knocking out the house's power.
At first, the teenager didn't want to be checked out at a hospital, but when she started complaining about a tingling sensation in her arm, she and her mother drove through the rain to get to Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital in Lakeview.
Helsel was checked out and the only signs of the lightning strike were some darkened fingertips on her right hand and a shaking arm from damaged muscles that will require some therapy. A full recovery is expected.
"Everyone said I'm really lucky," she said.
Hospital employees suggested that Helsel was on such a lucky streak, she should immediately play the lottery. She's too young, so her mother went out the next day and bought a Michigan lottery ticket for her.
"And we won $20," Johnson said, laughing. "What a way to start the summer."
My husband and I were talking about this last night. About what makes people play who don't usually and they win it big. I've read about one winner who went to a gas station where they have coupons? Anyway, while standing in line to pay, he happened to glance at the sign that displayed the JP of I believe 170M. He thought what the heck and bought one ticket...he won it all! Another who also rarely played had a thought just pop into his head to play his grandkids birthdays and yes.....he won it all also! What do you think of the idea of "devine intervention"? I'm still waiting for that "nudge" from something to make me a winner as well . lol
Where I live there's a much greater chance of being struck by lightning than winning a jackpot. In fact, I should shut down right now, although I'm running my laptop on the battery and my cables are connected to a surge protector. Oh no....
(just kidding)
BTW, I definitely believe in Divine Intervention. I just think God is a little busy this week in Iowa, Kansas and waching over our troops in Iraq to be playing around with the lottery picks.
maybe i am misreading this but $20 - like twenty bucks? ONLY for nearly being killed .. i'm not sure if this is exactly newsworthy - maybe $2K, $20K or more .. oh well, i rather have a pigeon crap on me and then go on to win $20
Quote: Originally posted by Sandra Dee on Jun 14, 2008
maybe i am misreading this but $20 - like twenty bucks? ONLY for nearly being killed .. i'm not sure if this is exactly newsworthy - maybe $2K, $20K or more .. oh well, i rather have a pigeon crap on me and then go on to win $20
I read the newspaper article about this and also thought that the lottery winning of $20 is not that big of a deal compared with being struck by lightening.
I was wondering if it was a misprint and maybe it was $20 million dollars, but apparently it is only $20.........
Quote: Originally posted by duckman on Jun 14, 2008
I read the newspaper article about this and also thought that the lottery winning of $20 is not that big of a deal compared with being struck by lightening.
I was wondering if it was a misprint and maybe it was $20 million dollars, but apparently it is only $20.........
When I started reading it I thought it was gonna be about the person that won the MegaMillions jackpot yesterday in Michigan since yesterday was friday the 13th.I figured that they was struck by lightning and then won the jackpot.But $20 isn't anything to brag about.Of course now the girl is probably hooked on lottery tickets and will blow her allowance every week on the lottery.
If I thought that getting struck by lightning would guarentee that I would win a huge jackpot,I'd stand out in the middle of a golf course with a golf club held in the air during a thunderstorm.
Quote: Originally posted by MaddMike51 on Jun 14, 2008
When I started reading it I thought it was gonna be about the person that won the MegaMillions jackpot yesterday in Michigan since yesterday was friday the 13th.I figured that they was struck by lightning and then won the jackpot.But $20 isn't anything to brag about.Of course now the girl is probably hooked on lottery tickets and will blow her allowance every week on the lottery.
If I thought that getting struck by lightning would guarentee that I would win a huge jackpot,I'd stand out in the middle of a golf course with a golf club held in the air during a thunderstorm.
Getting struck by lighting and then winning the MegaMillions jackpot would have made a more interesting story but people have to go with what they have. The previous MegaMillions jackpot winner was in Ohio and he/she/they haven't been heard from yet, they might have had an even more interesting story but don't want it known. It seems like they are waiting for everyone to forget that there ever was a jackpot winner in Ohio before making their claim.
Im with u on this 1 RJOH....That would have been a great story if she would have gave her mother the winning numbers after the lighting accident...I have a real crazy story too about lighting....good thang I had cat like reflexes...One day I was running along side of my grandmas house (I was bout 13 at the time )it was lighting but not heavy....I happened to look up at the right time....Soon as I looked up a bolt came all the way down I actually saw a bolt of ligting come down in front of me all the way towards the middle part of my body...I stopped running just in time....Its something that ill never forget...Scared the sh!t out of me....Now if I can only hit the Lottery....
I though you had to be 18 years old to buy a lottery tickets in all states... something in the story doesn't add up. you got to be at least 18 in all states to buy cigs...
Quote: Originally posted by JordanT1021 on Jun 14, 2008
I though you had to be 18 years old to buy a lottery tickets in all states... something in the story doesn't add up. you got to be at least 18 in all states to buy cigs...
My husband and I were talking about this last night. About what makes people play who don't usually and they win it big. I've read about one winner who went to a gas station where they have coupons? Anyway, while standing in line to pay, he happened to glance at the sign that displayed the JP of I believe 170M. He thought what the heck and bought one ticket...he won it all! Another who also rarely played had a thought just pop into his head to play his grandkids birthdays and yes.....he won it all also! What do you think of the idea of "devine intervention"? I'm still waiting for that "nudge" from something to make me a winner as well . lol
Where I live there's a much greater chance of being struck by lightning than winning a jackpot. In fact, I should shut down right now, although I'm running my laptop on the battery and my cables are connected to a surge protector. Oh no....
BTW, I definitely believe in Divine Intervention. I just think God is a little busy this week in Iowa, Kansas and waching over our troops in Iraq to be playing around with the lottery picks.
maybe i am misreading this but $20 - like twenty bucks? ONLY for nearly being killed .. i'm not sure if this is exactly newsworthy - maybe $2K, $20K or more .. oh well, i rather have a pigeon crap on me and then go on to win $20
I read the newspaper article about this and also thought that the lottery winning of $20 is not that big of a deal compared with being struck by lightening.
I was wondering if it was a misprint and maybe it was $20 million dollars, but apparently it is only $20.........
When I started reading it I thought it was gonna be about the person that won the MegaMillions jackpot yesterday in Michigan since yesterday was friday the 13th.I figured that they was struck by lightning and then won the jackpot.But $20 isn't anything to brag about.Of course now the girl is probably hooked on lottery tickets and will blow her allowance every week on the lottery.
If I thought that getting struck by lightning would guarentee that I would win a huge jackpot,I'd stand out in the middle of a golf course with a golf club held in the air during a thunderstorm.
Getting struck by lighting and then winning the MegaMillions jackpot would have made a more interesting story but people have to go with what they have. The previous MegaMillions jackpot winner was in Ohio and he/she/they haven't been heard from yet, they might have had an even more interesting story but don't want it known. It seems like they are waiting for everyone to forget that there ever was a jackpot winner in Ohio before making their claim.
Im with u on this 1 RJOH....That would have been a great story if she would have gave her mother the winning numbers after the lighting accident...I have a real crazy story too about lighting....good thang I had cat like reflexes...One day I was running along side of my grandmas house (I was bout 13 at the time )it was lighting but not heavy....I happened to look up at the right time....Soon as I looked up a bolt came all the way down I actually saw a bolt of ligting come down in front of me all the way towards the middle part of my body...I stopped running just in time....Its something that ill never forget...Scared the sh!t out of me....Now if I can only hit the Lottery....
man $20 , i think ill skip a lighting strike, and remain poor.
I though you had to be 18 years old to buy a lottery tickets in all states... something in the story doesn't add up. you got to be at least 18 in all states to buy cigs...
never mind. her mom bought her the ticket...
she should let me mom play a set of powerball numbers. her age, her mom's age, date the lightning strike happened, time checked in a hospital, etc..
I won $40 in a scratch off ticket last week. It was my last dollar.
Yippee!!! It made my day. I should have called the newspaper.
Wait a minute. She got struck by lightning. Spent hours in the emergency room and then won a skimpy 20 bucks. That's not so lucky.
Her and her parents probably think otherwise. She was lucky that she didn't die.