Heart Surgery Patient Wins $1 Million With Lottery Ticket In Get-Well Card

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A Massachusetts man who recently underwent open-heart surgery won a $1 million lottery prize playing a scratch-off game he was given as part of a get-well card, according to the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission.

CNN reports Alexander McLeish received three scratch-off tickets from a friend earlier this month, including one $5,000,000 100X Cashword crossword ticket in which he noticed his initials -- A,W and M -- revealed as the first glimpse of good luck.

McLeish continued to match letters on the ticket before revealing the word "heart" on the bottom row of the puzzle.

McLeish's $1 million winnings were the second top prize -- with the top prize equaling $5 million -- for the $20 lottery scratch-off game.

While the coincidental good luck in his recent winning game is unbelievable on its own, it isn't the first time McLeish has won a Massachusetts State Lottery game he received as a gift.

The Attleboro man had previously won $1,000 playing a scratch-off game he'd received from his friend on his birthday several years ago.

McLeish claimed his $1 million winnings last Friday (November 26) and opted to take the cash option, which is equal to a one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes, according to the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission via CNN.


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