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‘This is gonna change our lives’: Man wins $1M lottery jackpot, dies suddenly 3 weeks later

Posted at 5:17 PM, Feb 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-01 17:17:57-05

SIDNEY, N.Y. – A man who won a $1 million lottery jackpot died just weeks after winning the big prize.

WABC reports that Donald Savastano won the money on the New York Lottery’s Merry Millionaire ticket in January and had quite a few things he wanted to do the money – including funding his retirement.

“This is going change our lives, to tell you the truth,” Savastano said after winning. “I’m probably going to go get a new truck and I don’t know probably go on vacation.”

Savastano was self employed and did not have health insurance. During a recent trip to the doctor’s office, he found out that he had stage four lung cancer.

Savastano died on Friday – just 23 days after winning the lottery.

“I was hoping that the money was maybe going to save his life,” said Danielle Scott, who works at the store where he bought the winning ticket.

Savastano’s obituary said he was born in Queens and grew up on Long Island.

“He was known for his high-quality work and perfectionism. He always tried to reach out and help those he could by teaching them “the right way to do things,” his family wrote in the obituary.