Lottery prize win a shock and a blessing

Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Sue Dickens

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The Hislop family of Campbellford is planning a first, a family trip together. They are paying off medical bills and house debt first though with some of the $25,000 they won in the Heart and Stroke Calendar Lottery: seated from left, Kaysey, Randy, Briar, Emmett, Kathrine and Front, Trystyn.

Sue Dickens, Campbellford EMC

The Hislop family of Campbellford is planning a first, a family trip together. They are paying off medical bills and house debt first though with some of the $25,000 they won in the Heart and Stroke Calendar Lottery: seated from left, Kaysey, Randy, Briar, Emmett, Kathrine and Front, Trystyn.

EMC News -Campbellford -"I was really excited when we found out," said 13-year-old Kaysey Hislop.

"I was the one that screamed," she added grinning.

She was talking about what happened when her parents, Kathrine and Randy Hislop learned they had won a $25,000 early bonus prize in the Heart and Stroke Calendar Lottery.

Not bad for a $25 ticket. The parents of four children, the couple learned of their win on January 3, but kept a low profile, wanting to think about what to do with the money.

"Of course you know a small town, almost everyone knows about it anyway," said Randy smiling. The couple has lived in Trent Hills all their life.

"We found out about it in a rather bizarre way," he told EMC.

"We had taken the kids out public skating and when we came home there was a message on our phone from a friend of ours saying congratulations you won something from Heart and Stroke. So we went online and our name was there, but no other winners were listed. We thought it was a big scam. We couldn't believe it," he added.

"When the Heart and Stroke people called we said, okay now it's official."

"We're still in shock," said his wife.

The money will be put to good use by the family.

For Kathrine, who was hit by a drunk driver last year and ended up with injuries that kept her in hospital in Kingston for a while, the money will help pay for a new course she is taking to become an Educational Assistant (EA).

"My wife decided to go back to school because she was unable to go back to work," said Randy.

The money will also help pay medical bills.

Their youngest son five-year-old Emmett was in Sick Children's Hospital for the first nine months of his life.

"We're still back and forth, he's had several major surgeries, there's lots of stuff going on," said his dad.

The couple has always donated to Sick Children's Hospital but this time they decided to donate to the Heart and Stroke Foundation by purchasing a ticket on the calendar lottery. Their win means they can pay off the house and other debts.

"We do have a practical side," said Kathrine.

"We are now mulling over the different choices we have to spend the money on," she added.

"The first thing I thought of was to repair the hunt camp," said ten-year-old Trystyn. He, like the rest of his family, enjoys camping.

The family has agreed on one thing, they want to go on a trip together.

Randy works on road construction and travels a lot.

"We've never been on a family vacation. With Emmett in hospital the other kids have had to be patient and so we figure a year from now we will all go on a trip together," said Kathrine.

"We want to be sure Emmett, who will be a little older, will be able to enjoy it," she added.

"We've spent the money about a thousand times over," said Randy, who noted there are lots of other ideas for that money but the couple wants to invest as much as they can too.