Five-year-old who emptied piggybank to donate to charity wins $48 million lottery 13 years later

A Canadian who, as a child, emptied her piggy bank to help the victims of an earthquake has been hit with a big old bout of karma as she won millions of dollars on the lottery.

If that doesn't encourage you to do a good deed today, I don't know what will.

Now a student of Algoma University student, Juliette had been on her way to take her grandfather some ice cream when she decided to buy her first ever lottery ticket.

Recalling the series of events, Juliette said: "I called him on the phone asking what kind of ice cream he wanted. And he said to me: ‘You just turned 18, go buy a lotto ticket, test your luck.’ So I did.

“I got to the corner store and I’m in my car — and I didn't know how to buy it. So I had to call my dad. I said: ‘Dad, Grandpa wants me to buy a ticket. How do I do it?’ He's like: ‘Oh, just go inside and get a QuickPick'."

Whether you want to call it beginners luck, karma, or just plain coincidence, Juliette picked the winning ticket.

Her first call was to her mother, with Juliette recalling: "She answered the phone and I was like: ‘I won the lottery!’ She’s like: ‘No you didn’t!’ ”

Though she now has enough money to do basically whatever she wants, Juliette plans to continue with her four-year university program and hopes to attend the Northern Ontario School of Medicine before coming back to practice in Northern Ontario.

“I have to think about it," she said. "We’re definitely going to keep friends and family in mind. And tonight, I’m still a university student so I’m planning on finishing my biology report.”