As punters queue up to buy Big Wednesday tickets for this week's record $30 million draw, we speak to a previous winner who says his stroke of luck not only changed his life it saved it!
When news first broke of a beneficiary scooping $5 million-plus with a lottery ticket he bought on a whim cycling past a dairy, it seemed like a feel-good story with a truly golden touch.
But what wasn't revealed was the fact that bike ride was the start of a medical quest the lucky punter says has been his salvation.
"I must be one of the few people that have ever won a sum of money like this that ... their life actually depended on it," John (not his real name) told Sunday News.
"I know that if I hadn't have won that, I wouldn't be here now. I'm very fortunate."
John, who wants to remain anonymous, was on a sickness benefit when he won Big Wednesday's first division prize of $5,247,140 in March last year.
In his mid-30s, he was ill with kidney and heart problems.
"It was life-threatening there for a little while," he said. "My body was spiralling out of control.
"When I got the money I went to all the specialists, and over the last year ... we've eventually found out pretty much what's going on.
"They figured out what was wrong and did the appropriate things to counteract all the bad things that had been going on in my body.
"(I'm) still pretty crook ... but it's more controllable now, and at least I know what to do about it and what things to avoid and taking the appropriate medicines."
John, who won $250K of luxury travel as part of his prize package, is considering going to America to seek more advanced medical assistance.
But his health has put on hold any jetsetting including his initial desire to be one of the first Kiwis to fly on a commercial trip into space.
"I haven't done anything exuberant.
"About the flashest I've got is I went to the Rugby League World Cup last year and watched the Kiwis win. That was pretty heartening."
Also included in his Big Wednesday package was an Aston Martin V8 and an Audi Q7, but John took the cash instead.
He did, however, upgrade from his modest '90s sedan to an American muscle car and a top-of-the-line Mercedes.
"I bought a couple of supercars and a house and the rest of the money is invested in the bank," he said.
"(I'm) just living off the interest.
"I haven't done anything crazy or stupid or outrageous.
"I've helped a few people in my family ... a couple of friends and my parents and ... the economy by buying (the cars and a house)."
John's advice to this Wednesday's winner or winners was to look after loved ones.
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