Cheng “Charlie” Saephan‘s luck has taken a turn.
The 46-year-old Oregon resident—who has been battling cancer for eight years and just had his last chemotherapy treatment—became one of the winners of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot from earlier this month.
According to NBC News, Saephan said during an April 29 news conference that he and his wife Duanphen, 37, planned to split the winnings with friend Laiza Chao, 55, who chipped in $100 to buy a batch of more than 20 tickets with the couple. They also confirmed they are opting to take their winnings—with a cash value of $621 million—as a lump sum payment of $422 million after taxes as opposed to an annual annuity payout.
According to Saephan—who is father to two young children—he wrote out numbers for the lottery on a piece of paper and slept with it under his pillow in the weeks leading up to the drawing. He prayed, “I need some help—I don’t want to die yet unless I have done something for my family first.”
Now, “I will be able to provide for my family and my health.”
