A Portland, Oregon man is happy that his family “will have a good life” after he won this month’s huge $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot as he undergoes cancer treatment.
Cheng “Charlie” Saephan was born in Laos and immigrated to the United States in 1994, according to People. After battling cancer for eight years, the father of two spent $200 on lottery tickets with his wife and friend and prayed to win each night.
The Oregon Lottery announced on April 8 that they had drawn a winner, who had purchased the jackpot ticket at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in Portland.
“This is an unprecedented jackpot win for Oregon Lottery,” Oregon Lottery Director Mike Wells said at the time.
Saephan, 46, and his wife, Duanpen, 37, were named the winners of the state’s largest jackpot in history on Monday — and they’ll be splitting the money with their friend, 55-year-old Laiza Chao, who chipped in $100 for the tickets.
“First, I want to thank God for giving me this beautiful prize,” Saephan said during a news conference, per the Oregonian.
The couple and friend opted to receive their money in cash instead of a payout over time, leaving them with a whopping $422 million after taxes. The trio has also decided to split it evenly, with 50% going to the Saephans and 50% to Chao.
“I’m happy for my family. They will have a good life,” Saephan said. “But to myself, I’m in the middle of battling cancer, so I’m thinking, ‘How am I going to have time to spend all this money?’”
After wondering aloud about what he’d spend the money on, he said: “I am grateful for the lottery and how I have been blessed.”
“I am able to provide for my family and my health… My life has been changed. Now I can bless my family and hire a good doctor for myself,” the winner added.
He says he’s going to buy his family a “dream home” as well.
Saephan has been a regular player of the lottery and even wrote his numbers down and placed them under his pillow, where he prayed to win before sleeping every night.
“I need some help — I don’t want to die yet unless I have done something for my family first,” Saephan recalled the prayer he recited before the winning numbers were announced.
He also recounted the celebratory call he made to Chao. “I call her and she’s driving on the way to work, and I told her, ‘What are you doing now?’ and she said, ‘I’m driving on the way to work,’ and I told her, ‘You don’t have to go work now.”
Saephan, who has lived in Portland for 30 years since coming to the United States, said the winning numbers were computer-generated using the Quick Pick option.
“God picked for me,” he added.
“I want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to the Saephans and Ms. Chao on this historic win,” Director Wells told the Oregonian. “Not only is the prize life-changing for the three of them and their families, it’s also a huge win for the state.”
The Plaid Pantry location is set to receive a $100,000 bonus for selling the ticket, which is the fourth-largest jackpot in history, according to Powerball.
