Michigan State Lottery
An 87-year-old New Jersey man got a second crack at the Mega Millions jackpot after he cracked his hip walking to buy a Mega Millions ticket.
Earl Livingston fell and broke his hip en route to the convenience store to buy a Mega Millions ticket, and the injury landed him in the hospital where he would get his lucrative redemption. Earl joined the hospital staff’s lottery pool, which consisted of 141 members of the Jefferson Stratford Hospital staff.
The man’s niece, Bobbie Mickle, told WCAU-TV:
“He was on his way to buy a lottery ticket and he was disappointed that he didn’t get it. So they said, ‘Why don’t you go in with us? We’re also buying a lottery ticket.'”
The staff pool ended up having a $1 million Mega Millions ticket, one of 36 tickets nationwide that matched five of the six numbers for second-prize tickets.
“I didn’t believe him when I got here,” said Mickle. “I thought he was confused, maybe from pain meds. And then the staff came into the room and they were saying congratulations. And I was like, ‘Wow, he really did win.'”
Earl Livingston, 87, was walking to the store Tuesday to pick up a lottery ticket when he fell and broke his hip. After being admitted into the hospital, a physician’s assistant welcomed him into the hospital’s lottery pool—and they ended up winning! https://t.co/hCyEUNhKWp
— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) October 25, 2018
The unfortunate news is that Livingston needs a hip replacement. But he offered up a message thanking nurses and staff:
“I want to thank everybody,” Livingston said. “I appreciate very much and God bless you and have a happy, happy long life!”
Now it should be noted that all that glitters isn’t gold. $1 million sounds like a major haul, but split between 141 people, it amounts to $7,092.20 per person. After taxes, we’re talking under $5K.
I don’t know how much a hip replacement costs but I broke an ankle back in 2012 and I was eating Ramen noodles for months.
So, I guess, congrats Earl?