When I won $200 million, nobody knew. I wanted to test them. I called, shaking, and said, “I need money to buy my medication…”

When I won $200 million, nobody knew. I wanted to test them. I called, shaking, and said, “I need money to buy my medication…” My son blocked me immediately. My daughter replied coldly, “Figure it out yourself.” Hours later, my 18-year-old grandson showed up after driving 400 miles with the last $500 he had: “Gran, I don’t have any more, but I’m here.” What I did next changed everything… and it still haunts me.

When I won $200 million, nobody knew. Not my son Daniel, not my daughter Laura, not the rest of the family who for years made me feel like a burden.

My name is Margaret Collins, I’m 67 years old, and all my life I learned not to expect too much from others. Even so, after signing the winning ticket and sitting alone in the kitchen, I felt the need to test something that had been silently nagging at me for years: I wanted to know who would be there for me if I had nothing. Continue reading…