Cardiff mechanic beats cancer and wins big in National Lottery EuroMillions draw

A motor mechanic from Cardiff is looking forward to taking a back seat after he discovered he had won the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker £1,000,000 prize.

Dave Williams, 58, and wife Sarah, 55, had recently endured a slew of health issues, causing life to feel tough at times.

Dave, a mechanic, was diagnosed with throat cancer which led to aggressive treatment, culminating in him losing half his jaw and having to undergo reconstructive surgery.

He said: “We’ve both had it tough in recent years so we’re not wasting any time, we know that every minute is a gift."

However, just as Dave was on the mend, his wife, Sarah, became unwell.

He continued: "Sarah was treated for a catalogue of problems including spondylitis, an inflammation of the spine which is affecting her freedom of movement and putting her in almost constant pain."

Despite their recent struggles with ill health, Dave said they are determined to move forwards.

“While it’s been really tough, we’re still here; this win feels like the light at the end of a very long tunnel and for once, it’s not the train coming towards us!”

Following the win, the couple said they plan to hand over the motor repair business to their daughter, take things easier and explore more of the UK, and eventually the world.

The couple’s millionaire adventure started when Dave, who has run his motor repair business for 13 years, was in the garage office idly chatting to his daughter.

Scrolling through his National Lottery app he discovered what he thought was a £100,000 win on EuroMillions. He instantly called The National Lottery.

He said: “I thought I must have made a mistake and it was actually a tenner, so when the gentleman came back on the line to say ‘Mr Williams, you said you’ve won £100,000’ and paused, my heart really sank, only to leap once more when he continued ‘I’m pleased to tell you, you’ve actually won £1M’."

He continued: “I’d always hoped and dreamed I’d win a life changing amount on The National Lottery, but in all my daydreams, while there have been many ways I thought I’d celebrate this sort of news, swearing loudly for a good five minutes wasn’t one of them!"

Once the win was confirmed, Dave called his wife, Sarah, to share the news only to be told not to be so stupid for making up such rubbish!

Sarah said: “I honestly thought Dave was winding me up but when he showed me the ticket, and now when I see all those noughts in the bank account, I know it’s for real.

"I didn’t think anything could be more exciting than my son and his girlfriend giving us our first grandchild last year, but I think this is coming in a close second!”

The couple, who married in 2011, are keen to slow down and appreciate life.

“We’ve worked hard all our lives and enjoyed the fruits of that hard work, but this win will certainly make the next phase of our life that bit easier," Dave said.

"We’ll invest a big chunk for the future and then, once we have found the dream home, we fully intend to explore more of Wales and the rest of the UK in our campervan. Sarah also plans to overcome her fear of flying so that we can visit the list of overseas destinations which seems to be growing by the minute.”

Before jetting off the couple hope to find their dream home, but they have three other important family members to consider when it comes to the move, Trevor, Mavis and Winnie.

Sarah said: “The dogs are a very important part of our family. When Dave was going through his treatment the only thing that kept me sane was my walks with them.

"I’d tell the dogs all my woes and worries, and more recently as my health has deteriorated, Trevor, Mavis and Winnie have been there again, keeping me smiling when I certainly didn’t feel like smiling. So, making sure they also benefited from the win, was always a given!”

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