$1.3 Billion Dollar Lotto Winner Is 8 Year Cancer Fighter
When the Powerball lotto reached $1.3 billion, this cancer fighter and everyone else tried to get their hands on a lotto ticket in hopes of winning and having their lives change forever. The winner of the huge lotto has finally come forward.
We all wish we won the lottery. We think about all the things we’d do with the money. From buying a new home, expensive cars, paying off bills, setting up family for life, and more! But what about your health?
You’ve Won $1.3 Billion Dollars
Usually when the lotto gets that high, you never hear who the winner is or it takes months for it to even be claimed. This time the winner has come forward. He is a person who immigrated from Laos named Cheng Saephan, but everyone calls him Charlie. Charlie is a 46-year-old man from Portland, Oregon. What makes Charlie different from most people is that he’s been fighting cancer for the past 8 years and just got off his latest chemotherapy treatment last week.
Cheng has a wife and 2 children. He was worried about how he would be able to take care of his children. He even questioned how long he would live. Now he can rethink all of this.
Related: $1.13 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot Won By Single Ticket
What Will This Powerball Winner Do With The Money?
According to Fox 5, Charlie said during a press conference in Oregon, “I will be able to provide for my family and my health.” He also said he’s going find a good doctor for himself. He chose to take the lump sum payment, which equals to about $422 million. But, he won’t be taking the whole amount. He’s only gonna take $211 million of it. The other half of the lump sum will go to a friend who he split the tickets with.
The night before the drawing, his friend Chao told Charlie that they were billionaires as a joke. But the next morning, they actually won.
Better Cancer Doctors
As a person who is also battling cancer, I know finances are always a worry. Yes, there’s medical insurance that you have, but it doesn’t cover everything. You have co-pays and deductibles. Those could be anywhere between $2,000 to $8,000. And those copays will add up.
I too have tried to get my hands on lotto tickets for this very reason. That’s what makes this story even more special. Battling cancer is hard enough. To have a family you have to worry about is another. So for Charlie to win the lotto is something very special.
Their winning ticket was purchases in April at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in the Portland area. Before taxes, the lump sum was about $621 million. Cheng won the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in its history.
