'I Instantly Started Crying': Illinois Woman Celebrates Her Birthday with $1M Scratch-Off Win

Lottery officials said the lucky lady selected the ticket because it was purple, her favorite color

An Illinois woman wound up with the birthday present of a lifetime thanks to a lucky lottery ticket.

The woman, who has not been publicly identified, recently visited the BP gas station on South Harlem Avenue in Palos Heights and picked out a $25 Diamond Crossword 10X for herself, Illinois Lottery officials said, according to CBS affiliate WBBM-TV and ABC affiliate WLS-TV.

The lucky lady said she selected the ticket because it was purple, her favorite color, according to FOX affiliate WFLD.

“When I scratched the ticket in my car, I kept seeing wins that were getting bigger and bigger,” she said, per the reports. "As I got to the end, I realized it was worth $1 million and I couldn’t believe it.”

Stunned, the woman re-entered the gas station “to double check” the ticket — and happily, it wasn’t a dream.

“I insta -

Former WWE Wrestler Billy Jack Haynes Ch,...

ntly started crying and my legs felt like noodles,” the woman recalled. “I didn’t think I would be able to drive home!”

The woman told lottery officials that the winnings “will make a difference” in her life, as well as her family’s lives. 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Both she and her husband “work hard to provide” for their family, and want to give their children “all the opportunities the world has to offer,” she explained.

“Never in a million years did I think my life would change in an instant like this,” the winner added.

The BP station will receive $10,000 as a bonus for selling the winning ticket, according to WBBM-TV.

Illinois Lottery did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

What the Pentagon Has Learned? Are UFOs ,...