Man, 87, breaks his hip on the way to buy Mega Millions ticket but ends up winning share of $1m dollars after hospital staff let him in on their lottery pool

Earl Livingston with his nieces in hospital
NBC
Jacob Jarvis26 October 2018

An 87-year-old who fell and broke his hip on the way to buy a lottery ticket won a share of $1million when hospital staff invited him to join their syndicate.

Earl Livingston told those caring for him of his disappointment at being unable to enter a bumper $1.537billion mega millions draw after his accident.

A physician’s assistant, at Jefferson Stratford Hospital in New Jersey, invited him to join their pool and in a stroke of fate their group ticket ended up bagging a $1million jackpot.

His niece Bobbie Mickle, speaking to NBC10, said: “He told them 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.’”

When she went to visit him after the draw, which was on October 23, he told her how he and the 141 other syndicate members won the mammoth total between them.

Ms Mickle thought he may have been confused by medication he was on.

Mr Livingston has said he appreciates the win "very much"
NBC

She said: “I didn’t believe him when I got here.

“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.’”

The winners will each received around $7,000 each
AP

Each of the 142 syndicate members will now get a share of around $7,042 from the million.

That is around £5,497.

Mr Livingston, of Blackwood, New Jersey, had to remain in hospital and needs a hip replacement after his fall.

However, he was in elated after the win and told NBC10: “I want to thank everybody.

“I appreciate very much and God bless you and have a happy, happy long life!”

Another of his nieces said they have put a copy of the ticket up for him to look at if he is in pain, in hope the sight can “lessen it”.

The recent Mega Millions draw was a near-record jackpot, with one winning ticket earning its owner more than $1.5billion in South Carolina.

They defeated odds estimated at one in 302.5million to do so.

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