'Something Said Buy A Ticket': Cancer Patient Hits The Jackpot Not Once, But Twice

November 23, 2017

cancer patient wins lottery
Diane Bishop / Credit: CBC

A woman with stage 4 breast cancer hit the jackpot not once, but twice.

Diane Bishop beamed as she held up a $1.5 million check in the Atlantic Lottery's office in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

The second jackpot is that she is finally, after several failed attempts, responding to chemotherapy.

"It's like this big ball of weight has been lifted off my shoulders," Bishop told CBC. "The stress is gone."

For a single mother with two sons, the disease has taken a toll. She walks with a limp, has trouble raising her right arm, has a weak immune system and struggles to get out of bed in the morning.

Unfortunately, she couldn't afford to stop working. Government support would amount to just over $1,100 a month, barely enough to cover her mortgage payment.

So Bishop did something unusual. She purchased a $20 scratch-off lottery ticket from the store she manages.

"It was weird. Something said, 'Buy a ticket' that day. I can't explain it," Bishop said.

cancer patient wins lottery
Diane Bishop / Credit: CBC

The choice was life changing for her and her two sons.

"We were all jumping and screaming," she said, describing the moment she discovered the $1.5-million win. "It was like, 'Oh my God, oh my God, we actually won this and our financial troubles are gone.'"

News from her doctor a week later brought more hope: the chemo was finally working.

It was like winning the lottery all over again.

"It had taken the fluid out of my lungs. It has shrunk some of the cancer that is in my lung, and it actually healed part of the bone that's in my leg," Bishop told CBC.

"I really believe that it's the power of prayers. I've had so many people praying for me. They email me through Facebook, they come to the store, they call me, they text me, and they told me their churches are praying for me."


Click Here For The Most Popular On Sunny Skyz

feel good videoCouple Rescues Prairie Dog From Their Dog's Mouth, Then Decides To Adopt It

feel good storiesOhio Man Makes Waves With His Fully Functioning Hot Dog Boat

feel good storiesThese Are The Movie Scenes People Say Are Absolutely Flawless

feel good storiesWhy Hope Is The Key To A Meaningful Life, Backed By New Research

feel good storiesJudge Waives Parking Fines So Dad Can Keep Supporting Son’s Space Dreams

feel good storiesHungry Elephant Casually Walks Into Grocery Store For Snacks In Thailand

feel good videoWoman Tries To Help Bird, Then This Happened... And We Can't Stop Laughing

feel good videoArtist Creates Mesmerizing Optical Illusion Using Just A Marker And A Spinning Wheel

feel good videoConcerned Momma Moose Wanders Into Alaska Firehouse

feel good videoUPS Driver Joins Teenagers On Graduation Slip ’N Slide

feel good videoHero Dog Named RAMBO Scares Off Masked Robbers To Save Woman

Chris Filippou 12:17 PM (3 minutes ago) to me