Lottery Winner Dies 3 Weeks After Hitting Jackpot
Man dies three weeks after winning $1m in the lottery. Donald Savastano was planning to use his winnings to pay off some debts, purchase a new car and visit the doctor.
Sadly, a man has died of cancer less than three weeks after winning $1m (£700,000) on the lottery.
Donald Savastano was just 52-years-old when he passed away over the weekend. He had recently been diagnosed with stage four cancer, according to an obituary on the Dignity Memorial funeral services website.
Ms. Scott said a friend of his came and told her that Mr. Savastano was very ill in hospital.
She said: ”He was self-employed, he didn’t have insurance, he hadn’t been feeling good for a while I guess, and when he got the money he went to the doctor”.
“He was very sick and that he had brain and lung cancer and that he was in the hospital and they didn’t think he was going to make it.”
She added: “I just wish he had more time with it.”
His death came less than a month after he became a millionaire after picking a winning New York Lottery scratchcard at a shop in his hometown of Sidney, a small community around 170 miles north of New York City.
He was planning to “buy a new truck, pay off some debt and invest for the future,” with his winnings.
He added: “This is going to change our lives to tell you the truth”.
Born in Queens, New York Savastano grew up on Long Island. He became a carpenter after working with his father as a child.
Furthermore, his obituary said that he worked for commercial companies. Then, after moving to Sidney, he managed to carve out a successful career as a self-employed carpenter.
“He was known for his high-quality work and perfectionism,” reads the obit. “He always tried to reach out and help those he could by teaching them ‘the right way to do things’”.
