Whew, that was a little close for comfort, but she got it.

The "she" we're talking about is Shirley Thibodeaux of Sunset and the "it" is a $50,000 prize from the Louisiana Lottery Powerball.

When Thibodeaux heard from a friend that a $50,000 Powerball prize sold in her neck of the woods was still unclaimed, she realized she had not checked her own ticket.

So she located it, gave it a once-over, and lo and behold, Thibodeaux was a big-time winner. Her ticket matched four of the five white-ball numbers and the red Powerball number in the November 5th drawing.

$213 Million Powerball Jackpot Has Mystery Winner
William Thomas Cain/Getty Images
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“I was shocked! This whole time the ticket had been in the kitchen until someone told me about the unclaimed prize,” she explained.

Thibodeaux claimed her prize at the Lottery's Lafayette regional office a mere three weeks before the May 4 expiration date.

Thibodeaux's husband is a regular Lottery player and the couple normally buys their tickets at Go Bears #28 in Grand Coteau. That is where the $50,000-winning ticket was purchased.

She said she plans to share the winnings with her immediate family.

Louisiana Lottery
Louisiana Lottery
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As a reminder, winners of the Lottery's draw-style games must claim their prize within 180 days of the drawing. Once the redemption deadlines pass, that money is deposited into the Lottery's unclaimed prize fund, which is returned to players in the form of increased payouts on instant-win games and player promotions.

A list of large unclaimed prizes that are set to expire in the next 90 days can be found on the Lottery's website here: www.louisianalottery.com/unclaimed-prizes

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