Immigrant Cancer Patient Wins $1.3B Powerball Jackpot With Wife and Friend
On Monday, an immigrant who is fighting a cancer recurrence came forward to claim the $1.326 Powerball jackpot that he and his wife and friend won earlier this month.
The winning numbers for the April 6 Powerball drawing were red Powerball 9, 22, 27, 44, 52, and 69. Cheng “Charlie” Saephan, 46, bought more than 20 tickets at the Plaid Pantry convenience store at 6060 NE Columbia Boulevard in Portland on behalf of his wife, Duanpen Saephan, 37, and friend, Laiza Chao, 55, and one of them matched the six chosen numbers.
At the Oregon Lottery, Saephan claimed the reward that would change his life. He disclosed to lottery organizers that he had previously fought cancer and was currently battling a relapse.
"I prayed to God to help me. My kids are young and I’m not that healthy,” Saephan said.
The cash option, which came to $422.3 million after federal taxes, will be divided among the three winners. Half of the fortune will go to Chao and the Saephans.
The ticket was easily the largest lottery prize in Oregon history, and the Plaid Pantry received a $100K additional reward for selling it. The previous record was set in 2005 with a $340 million jackpot.
Win Illuminates the Asian Population
Although Saephan identified himself as an Iu Mien, a Southeast Asian ethnic group with Chinese origins, he told the media that he was born in Laos.
During the Vietnam War, many of its members left Laos to Thailand before relocating to the US. In order to stop the North Vietnamese from using the Ho Chi Minh Trail to move troops and weapons from Laos and Cambodia to South Vietnam, the Iu Mien people fought alongside the United States during the Vietnam War.
Before coming to the US in 1994, Saephan recounted, he and his family relocated to Thailand in 1987. He has spent more than 30 years in Portland and completed high school two years later. After becoming extremely affluent, Saephan may be leaving his position as a machinist for an aircraft company.
“I will be able to provide for my family and my health,” Saephan said, adding that he plans to find the best doctor for his ongoing treatment.
Saephan claimed that he would lie in bed at night hoping to win while the Powerball prize kept growing.
"I need some help — I don’t want to die yet unless I have done something for my family first,” Saephan explained.
Saephan can now be confident that he has accomplished more than "something," an achievement that should bring wealth to the family for many generations to come, thanks to a wealth of luck and good fortune.
Who Will Come Next?
The two most well-liked lottery games in the US, Powerball and Mega Millions, have the potential to bring in generations of money in the days, weeks, or months ahead. They frequently transform lives.
With a $115.6 million cash option, Tuesday night's Mega Millions jackpot is projected to be $257 million. There is a more than one in 302.5 million chance that a ticket will match the six drawn numbers.
The expected Powerball jackpot for Wednesday night is $178 million, with a cash option of $81.3 million. There is a one in 292.2 million chance of winning the top prize in Powerball.
