— Dorothy Martin of Cleveland County was surprised when she won $10 million on Christmas Eve.

Martin, who plans to use her winnings to help her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, stopped by a Handy Mart convenience store located at 430 Blacksburg Road in Grover last week to buy an Extreme Millions scratch-off ticket.

She said she immediately started scratching the ticket once she got back inside her car. “I started at the bottom,” Martin said. “I didn’t match any of the numbers. When I got to the top I closed my eyes and scratched. When I opened them I couldn’t believe it. I just thought, ‘Could this be real?’”

Martin said she went back inside the Handy Mart to have the clerk check the ticket for her. “I told her, ‘If this is real, you better call the paramedics now. I’m sure I’ll have a heart attack,’” Martin said.

The ticket was real, and Martin claimed her prize Friday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. When given the option of a $10 million annuity that has 20 payments of $500,000 a year or a lump sum of $6 million, she chose the lump sum. After required state and federal tax withholdings, she took home $4,230,069.

Martin said she also plans to use some of the money to get a new home.

The Extreme Millions ticket, which costs $30, launched in December 2016. “It’s a miracle!” Martin said. “It’s a Christmas Eve miracle. I still can’t believe this is happening.”

Another millionaire could be crowned provided they match all of the numbers in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Mega Millions jackpot stood at $425 million. The drawing will be held at 11 p.m. immediately prior to the WRAL newscast.