A throat cancer survivor who lost half of his jaw has said he and his wife plan to travel the world after winning a £1m lottery prize.
Mechanic Dave Williams, 58, from Cardiff, had “extensive and aggressive treatment” for throat cancer and had to have reconstructive surgery.
His wife Sarah, 55, was diagnosed with a catalogue of problems, including an inflammatory spinal condition.
The couple said they plan to buy their dream home, travel the UK and eventually the world – once Ms Williams overcomes her fear of flying.
Mr Williams said he and his wife have “both had it tough in recent years so we’re not wasting any time, we know that every minute is a gift”.
“Then just when I was on the mend, 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.
“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.”
The 58-year-old said he initially thought he had won £100,000 on the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker draw, but when the call-handler put him on hold, he was worried he had been mistaken.
“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’.”
“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.”
Mrs Williams 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.”
Mr Williams said he will hand his business over to his daughter.
“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.
“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.”
