'My Heart Sank': CA Lottery Winner Almost Hit Billion Dollar Jackpot

FRESNO, CA — Fresno resident Sara Bailey was in the middle of fixing herself a late dinner in July when she decided to check the California Lottery drawing.

Looking at her July 29 ticket in disbelief, she realized she had matched five numbers.

"My heart sank just a little bit when I saw I didn't match the mega number, but that quickly dissipated when I realized I was still a big winner! Needless to say, dinner got cold, and celebrations ensued," Bailey told the California Lottery.

The five-number combination netted Bailey a whopping $4.2 million.

Initially, she thought she had just won $1 million, but was flabbergasted the next day to realize that the ticket she'd bought from Vons on North Cedar Avenue had actually won her more than $4 million.

"I didn't know until the next morning when I got up that I had actually won $4.2 million!" she said. "I did think about how awesome it would have been if the 14 had been on the winning line and I’d hit the billion-dollar jackpot, but I wasn’t about to start complaining about a $4 million win! I don’t want to elaborate on what I did next, but I will say it’s a strange feeling to be suddenly holding onto a little piece of paper worth $4.2 million."

Bailey said she plans to give some of her money away to her family.

"Especially to my parents to help in their retirement because they have done so much to support me," she said.

Next, she plans to donate to charitable organizations.

"...and of course I’ll invest and save and definitely take a vacation," she added.

Bailey also praised the California Lottery for its contribution to public education. From the 30-draw Mega Millions sequence from July 29th, approximately $124 million went to California's public schools, the lottery system said.

"I think it’s great that Lottery provides funds for public education in our state. It’s great to have fun playing while also having a few dollars of your playing money go to schools," she said.