- Alexander McLeish won $1,000,000 on a scratch off after open heart surgery.
- McLeish’s tickets were purchased by a friend and given to him as a get-well-soon present.
- McLeish chose to take a lump sum payment of $650,000 as his prize.
ATTLEBORO, Mass. - A man in Massachusetts was recovering from open heart surgery when he received a remarkable gift - a lottery ticket that won him a $1 million jackpot.
The man, Alexander McLeish, was gifted three scratch-off lottery cards in a get-well-soon card from a friend after his surgery. One of those three cards hit it big, and McLiesh won the second-highest prize in the $5,000,000 100X Cashword game.
This game involves scratching off to reveal words, and incredibly, one of the words McLeish revealed was ‘heart’ - a truly serendipitous gambling moment.
The winning card also contained his initials - A.W.M.
According to the Massachusetts Lottery website, the odds of winning this specific prize are 1 in 1,008,000, with only 10 winning cards outstanding.
The $1,000,000 is offered in the form of $50,000 per year over 20 years, with an option for a lump sum cash payment as well. McLeish opted to take the cash now instead of the deferred payment method of receiving his lottery winnings.
This payment resulted in a lump sum of $650,000 being given to the recovering heart surgery patient.
The Massachusetts State Lottery Commission confirmed the story in a news release, although they did not confirm whether or not McLiesh’s friend who purchased the lottery tickets for him will see any of the money.