A single parent who recently battled bowel cancer has won £1 million on the lottery.
Paul Harvey, 51, from Attleborough, Norfolk, only realized he had won a week after the EuroMillions draw.
He plans to use the winnings to take his two teenage children on their first family holiday abroad—to Greece.
“Life hasn’t always been easy, but the kids mean everything to me, and they always come first,” Mr. Harvey said.
The full-time dad, who underwent two years of treatment for bowel cancer, bought his National Lottery ticket for the draw on 4 July.
Having lived in Cyprus for 12 years during his younger days, he’s eager to show his children that part of the world.
“We’ve never been away abroad together, and I’d love to take them both to Greece,” he shared. “But first, we need to get our passports!”
He also intends to buy a Fiat 500 for his daughter, who is currently learning to drive.
Mr. Harvey admitted he didn’t realize he had won the prize for a whole week, until The National Lottery encouraged him to check his account.
“At first, I thought it was a scam,” he said. “I read the email again and Googled the National Lottery Line. When I saw the phone numbers matched, I allowed myself to get truly excited.”
Winning came by matching the unique raffle code in the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker draw.
“It felt like forever waiting for the kids to get home from school so I could tell them,” he recalled.
He captured the joyful moment of sharing the news with his son, with both jumping around the kitchen and hugging.
“This win opens up so many opportunities, but I want to take my time and make the right decisions,” Mr. Harvey said. “It still doesn’t feel real.”
