TJ Heald and his wife, Sarah, smile after collecting a Fantasy 5 jackpot.

A Barry County man is looking forward to having less stress and more time to focus on his family after winning a $626,793 Fantasy 5 jackpot from the Michigan Lottery.

Thomas “TJ” Heald, of Hastings, won the big prize after matching the Fantasy 5 numbers drawn Monday: 14-17-18-23-38. He bought his winning ticket at the Hastings Shell, located at 135 East Green Street in Hastings.

“My wife and I usually play instant games, but my mother-in-law told us to make sure to get a Fantasy 5 ticket because the jackpot was so high,” said Heald. “I bought five easy pick tickets but never gave much thought to winning.

“My mother-in-law called us early Tuesday morning to tell us someone in Hastings had won and my wife checked our tickets while she was on the phone. The next thing I heard was my wife screaming. I ran downstairs and found her crying tears of joy in the kitchen.”

Heald’s winning ticket.

Heald visited Lottery headquarters Tuesday with his wife, Sarah, and two young children to collect the big prize. With his winnings, he plans to pay off his house and cars, set some aside for his children’s’ education, and take a family vacation to Disney World this Christmas.

“Winning this money takes away so much of my day-to day stress and will let me focus more on enjoying time with my family,” Heald said.

Each Fantasy 5 play is only $1. For an additional $1 per play, EZmatch may be added to a Fantasy 5 ticket, giving players a chance to win up to $500 instantly. Fantasy 5 players select five numbers from one to 39. Players who match all five Fantasy 5 numbers drawn win a jackpot that starts at $100,000. Fantasy 5 drawings are held seven days a week at 7:29 p.m. Tonight’s Fantasy 5 jackpot is $105,000.