Mum who ‘searched Rightmove every day’ for perfect family home scoops lottery win

A mum from Manchester who searched ‘on Rightmove every day’ for four years to find a family home suitable for her daughter has scooped a lottery jackpot.

Nicola Galley, 43, from Dukinfield, Tameside, has been searching on Rightmove for the last four years to find the perfect family home to suit her disabled daughter Ava’s needs.

Ava, 13, was born with a rare genetic disorder — so rare it doesn’t even have a name — that means she has to be tube fed, is non-verbal and unable to walk by herself.

As Ava has grown into a teenager, Nicola has been looking for a bigger space to suit her daughter’s needs and has turned the family dining space into a bedroom so that Ava can move around safely.

The family initially wanted to adapt their Dukinfield home but the council reportedly denied their planning permission. But after a lucky win on the People’s Postcode Lottery the mum is planning to buy a new home to transform the life of her severely disabled daughter after a lucky jackpot win.

Nicola, a supermarket cafe worker, pocketed a £55,555 share of her neighbourhood’s prize by playing the People’s Postcode Lottery.

She celebrated her good fortune with 16 other neighbours after their postcode – SK16 5AZ – was announced as the winner of today’s Millionaire Street prize.

Nichola has now spoken out about how the cash will help transform family life.

Nicola said: “Ava’s condition is so rare it doesn’t have a name. Most pregnancies [of this condition] either miscarry or are stillborn and doctors didn’t expect her to still be with us at this age. She likes to keep us all on our toes.” 

“We’ll use this to move into a home that’s more suitable for Ava’s needs. I’ve been on Rightmove every day for the last four years.

“I want to give Ava her own bedroom with a dressing table, just like every 13-year-old girl wants.

“This has given us a bit of hope and a little bit of happiness, it feels like it’s within our reach now. I feel a bit lighter.”

Nicola left her career in design to care for Ava full time once she was born. She continued: “Ava is getting older and bigger so we need a downstairs bedroom and a wet room and open plan living so she can move around safely.

“Hopefully it won’t come to it but we might need hoists to lift her and everything that comes with that, too.

“We don’t actually want to move. We did apply for planning permission to have a downstairs wet room bathroom for Ava, but it was denied.

“We’ve had to move Ava into the dining room, so it’s a half dining room, half bedroom.”

Nicola is also mum to James, who she wants to treat to driving lessons, as she said: “James has just finished his exams and he’s done so well. I’m so proud of him. I think he deserves some driving lessons when the time comes.

“I’m still in shock, I can’t believe we’ve won that amount of money. It’s going to be so useful that it’s hard not to get emotional.”

“A little trip to Spain would be nice – I’ve been practising my Spanish for a few years. Whether or not we can go as a family is yet to be seen – it might just be a girls’ trip,” she added.