Surrey mother of 3 wins $39.5 million Lotto Max draw

Michelle De Roma was out Boxing Day shopping in south Delta when she decided to pick up a Lotto Max ticket.

Thanks to that decision, she can now afford to go on a much bigger shopping spree.

On Friday afternoon, De Roma was presented with a cheque for $39.5 million at the B.C. Lottery Corporation office in Vancouver.

"It's my husband's birthday, so it's the perfect gift for him," she said. "My husband is the number one love of my life."

De Roma, a mother of three who lives in Surrey, plans to spend some of her winnings on a new house for her family. She's planning a dream vacation too.

"I really want to go to Rome," she said. "St. Peter's Basilica with my mother-in-law."

She also wants to invest some of the money in real estate. Once De Roma found out she had matched all seven numbers, she put the winning ticket in a safe place.

"I put it in an envelope and put it with other documents," she said. "Important documents! And I already signed it!"