It's no secret the world isn't as cheap as it used to be. Long gone are the days of buying a home in a major city for $80,000. Even the price of groceries has skyrocketed! For so many of us, just eating our vegetables is nearly unaffordable—let alone saving up to be a homeowner!
This was the sad reality for one mature nursing student.
She Was Living With Roommates
At 49 years old Oceanne Belle, was doing her best to keep it all together. The mature student bravely put herself through nursing school but after her landlord increased her rent—she had nowhere to live.
"'I'm studying to become a pediatric nurse one day," Belle shared. "So it's very difficult to pay for rent in London while also being at university full-time."
Belle isn't the only one who struggles to make ends meet in the major city. Over the last decade the cost of living in London has become increasingly high—with no end to the problem in sight.
At the time of eviction Belle was living with several roommates but with the rent increase she was forced out of her home and into the cold. Without warning, Belle had to rely on the kindness of friends.
With no other options, she began "couch surfing" without any idea of what her next move would be.
Thankfully, fate stepped in.
The Chances Were 1 in a Million—She Tried Her Luck Anyway
You know what they say, life is a gamble—but this is one time, the odds were in her favour!
Despite the bleak reality of her financial situation Oceanne Belle still found it in her heart to give generously with the little she had. When she saw an online fundraising event for a local charity, she wanted to do her part.
Even though she gave a mere $10—her donation to OMAZE changed everything.
OMAZE is fundraising company best known for raising money for charity by raffling celebrity experiences. The platform is entirely online and every donation is one entry for the grand prize. How it works is simple: the money raised by the end of the raffle is awarded to the charity being fundraised for. Since their humble beginnings, OMAZE has radically changed the charity game one prize at a time— but their most life changing raffle? The OMAZE Million Pound House Draw. At least it was for this one nursing student.
When Belle saw OMAZE was raffling off the keys to £5 million townhouse in Chelsea, she knew was no way she'd win. So why'd she donate her hard-earned cash?
Belle was moved by the cause OMAZE was fundraising for. The money would be awarded to the NHS (aka the publicly funded health care system in England)! As an aspiring nurse putting herself through school, Belle could think of no better cause to donate to.
So Belle gave what she could. She donated $10 and effectively entered the OMAZE lottery— she didn't think anything of it. In fact, she completely forgot about it.
So much so that when the OMAZE team called to inform Belle she had won the grand prize, she blocked their call...twice!
“It was a Friday night and I’d been writing a dissertation all day and feeling a bit down in the dumps, as it’s so stressful. I got a few calls from a number I didn’t know so I blocked it, twice!”
"The Best Christmas Present Ever"—A Life Changing Win
Even though she may not have picked up their calls, fate was already in motion. Eventually the Omaze team came knocking on her door and delivered the life changing news in person!
“I was greeted by the Omaze team singing funny Christmas carols." Oceanne Belle said, "Then the next thing I knew I’d won a house and my life had changed forever.”
It was official. Bell was the lucky winner of the stunning 4-story flat and £100,000 in cash.
But that's not all! There's a catch.
The catch is there is no catch. This was one sweet deal that came with no strings attached. The townhouse comes mortgage-free, with all tax and legal fees covered. Belle is also free to either live in the luxurious property, rent it out, or sell it to become a multi-millionaire!
“It is so crazy that last week I was technically ‘sofa surfing’ at a friend’s flat - and now I’ve won a £5 million townhouse in Chelsea - it's just unbelievable.
Oceanne Belle
Even though local real estate agents estimate the property could achieve a long-term rental value of around £140,000 a year—for now, Belle just wants to savour the little things, like being able to cook in her very own kitchen or just kick her feet up and relax.
"It's an amazing feeling" Belle said, "This has to be the best Christmas present ever."
Winning the Lottery "Won't Change Me As A Person"
Sure, this is one surprise from Santa that may be a dream come true but this is one dream that won't stop Belle from staying true to herself.
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do long-term yet - but we’re definitely going to spend some time here and enjoy it. Winning this house is a dream come true, but it won’t change me as a person.
It may seem crazy to say, but winning the lottery can have it's downsides! In fact, it isn't always the long term financial solution so many players think it is.
Statistically speaking 70% of lottery winners shockingly go bankrupt within a few years of winning! You'd wonder with all that money how people manage to go broke. The reality is, money changes people. It's easy to spend it all in one place—which is exactly what Belle plans on not doing.
For now, she plans to enjoy her beautiful home and host her family and loved ones in ways she never dreamed she could.
"I can now invite all my family over from the Seychelles to come and stay. I absolutely love cooking and can’t wait to use the kitchen" Belle said, when talking how she plans to break in her new digs.
We Get What We Give—Sometimes More Than We Ever Imagined!
In the end, Oceanne Belle's story teaches us something simple yet powerful: what goes around really does come around, and sometimes, it brings back more than we could ever imagine.
From tough times and couch-surfing to winning a £5 million townhouse, her journey shows the unexpected joy that kindness can bring.
In a world that can feel overwhelming and just down right expesnsive—Oceanne's story is a reminder that small acts of generosity an lead to big, beautiful surprises
So, this holiday season let's keep sharing what we have, believing in the good, and who knows, the universe might just surprise us in the most delightful ways.
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Two little children sitting on a couchBrittany Cole / ABC News