Louisa and Greg Tomlinson
The pair have spent almost two years avoiding Covid-19 but are looking forward to a better 2022 (Picture: PA)

A married couple who have spent almost two years shielding from Covid-19 ‘burst into tears’ when they won £300,000 on a scratchcard.

Louisa Tomlinson’s life was turned upside down when she suffered a stroke and needed treatment for a hole in heart, leaving her vulnerable to the virus. 

She and husband Greg have spent ‘a really tough couple of years’ living in fear of the disease at their home in Kent.

But their ‘dream came true’ when a scratchcard delivered a life-changing sum of money which will finally allow them to buy their own home. 

Ms Tomlinson, 57, said: ‘I’d just started a new job when I had the stroke, and in treating that the doctors discovered that I also had a hole in my heart.

‘I haven’t worked since, and Greg, a trained electrician, had to take a part-time delivery job so he was around to look after me as I recovered.

‘I’ve always dreamt of owning our own home and to be honest, over the last 18 months I’ve thought of nothing else, scouring Rightmove for the perfect little cottage.

Undated handout photo issued by Camelot of Louisa Tomlinson and and her husband Greg from Ash, Kent,
The couple are planning on relocating to their dream home in Norfolk (Picture: PA)

‘I knew we could never afford it but the daydreaming kept me entertained while I was shielding… this really is a dream come true.’

The couple, who have five children, are planning on using the money to relocate to the countryside. 

Ms Tomlinson said they are  looking for a ‘cosy two-bedroom’ cottage with a wood-burning stove and a small garden in Norfolk.

The couple’s win came from a National Lottery Scrabble Cashword Scratchcard they bought at a Tesco Extra in Broadstairs while picking up some final items ahead of Christmas Day.

Mr Tomlinson, 62, said they checked the scratchcard once they had put their shopping away, ‘cup of tea in hand’.

Undated handout photo issued by Camelot of Louisa Tomlinson and and her husband Greg from Ash, Kent,
They picked up the scratchcard during some last minute Christmas shopping (Picture: PA)

She said: ‘I was busy with mine when Louisa said “I think I’ve won £10,000” then paused and counted the number of words she’d revealed again and then said, “hang on, I think we’ve won an awful lot of money”.’

Ms Tomlinson said once she is ‘back on her feet’ she plans to volunteer at her local hospital to give back to the NHS for looking after her.

She added: ‘Without them, I wouldn’t be here today for another truly life-changing event, but this time a very good one.’

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