Cheng “Charlie” Saephan, a Mien American immigrant who is battling cancer, has won the billion-dollar Powerball jackpot in Oregon.
According to KOIN 5, the Oregon lottery announced Saephan as the winner of the $1.3 billion jackpot during a press conference on Monday afternoon. Saephan bought the winning ticket with his wife and their friends, who also purchased tickets, at a Portland Plaid Pantry. He will keep the winnings with the group as a lump sum.
The 46-year-old was born in Laos and fled to Thailand in 1987 to avoid retribution for helping the U.S. during the Secret War. He eventually immigrated to the U.S. in 1994, The Guardian reports. According to OregonLive.com, he found work as a machinist working on plane parts.
In 2016, Saephan was diagnosed with cancer and has been battling it ever since. When he bought his Powerball tickets, he took a leap of faith.
“I prayed to God to help me,” he said per CBS News. “My kids are young and I’m not that healthy.”
Luck was on his side.
“I am grateful for the lottery and how I have been blessed,” Saephan told KOIN 5. “I am able to provide for my family and my health. … My life has been changed. Now I can bless my family and hire a good doctor for myself.”
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