Did you or anyone you know ever win the lottery? It’s got to be such a nice surprise. One lucky Canadian girl had her own special lottery win that makes for uplifting reading. And with headlines usually veering towards the negative news, we had to share how the lottery changed this young lady’s life.

Charlie Lagarde celebrated her 18th birthday earlier this month. It started out as you’d expect most 18 year-old birthdays to go. She went to her local Couche-Tard convenient store, picked up a bottle of sparkling wine and bought one little scratch lottery ticket for $4.

It was the first time Lagarde ever bought a lottery ticket, but luck was on her side that day. That’s because she won the grand prize, the Gagnant à vie (Winner for life). Not bad for a first-timer!

Both Lagarde and her family were ecstatic as they celebrated in their hometown of Montérégie, near Montreal.

As the winner, Lagarge has two choices: she can receive the lump sum of $1 million, or she can receive $1,000 per week for the rest of her life.

After debating for a couple of weeks, and discussing her new income with a financial adviser, she decided to accept $1,000 per week.

So, what does Lagarde plan to do with her new and steady stream of wealth? She wants to invest the new funds in her education and study photography, as well as travel. She explained that “One of my dreams would be to work for National Geographic.”