A man who has been battling cancer for eight years is among three winners of the whopping $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot.
On Monday (April 29), the Oregon Lottery announced that their largest-ever lottery jackpot worth $1.326 billion had been won by Cheng "Charlie" Saephan and his wife Duanpen, according to the Associated Press.
The couple announced that they'll be splitting their winnings with a friend, Laiza Chao, 55, who threw in $100 to help them buy a batch of tickets.
The group chose the cash option of over $422 million after taxes. Chao will receive 50% of the earnings and the Saephans will each take 25%.
“First, I want to thank God for giving me this beautiful prize,” The 46-year-old said at the Oregon Lottery office after his victory, per The Oregonian.
Cheng opened up about his victory at an Oregon Lottery news conference, expressing happiness for his family who will now "have a good life," adding: “But to myself, I’m in the middle of battling cancer, so I’m thinking, ‘How am I going to have time to spend all this money?’” per CNN.
Cheng was born in Laos and moved to Thailand in 1987, before immigrating to the States in 1994.
He told reporters that he has resided in Portland for the last three decades and is a father to two young children. He was also previously a machinist for an aerospace company.
At the ceremony, where he donned a sash representing his Iu Mien heritage, Chen revealed that he was first diagnosed with cancer in 2016, and his most recent chemotherapy treatment was just one week before the big news.
"I am grateful for the lottery and how I have been blessed," he said, according to local station KOIN. "I am able to provide for my family and my health… My life has been changed. Now I can bless my family and hire a good doctor for myself."
The Oregonian reported that the winning ticket was bought earlier this month at a Plaid Pantry store in Portland. The store will now get a $100,000 bonus for selling a winner.
"I want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to the Saephans and Ms. Chao on this historic win," Oregon Lottery Director Mike Wells said in a statement. "Not only is the prize life-changing for the three of them and their families, it’s also a huge win for the state."
