In Mattishall, Norfolk (UK), a man now has a great story to tell after becoming the big winner of the UK National Lottery. The BBC reported on the big event and recounted everything that happened at the nearby store in Norwich. With his big prize, he bought Range Rovers for his family and they went on vacation to Barbados. But it wasn’t all fun and games, because amid all the partying, the man suffered a bilateral pulmonary embolism and had to be rushed to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for treatment. Read on to learn more about this story.
The highest and lowest moments of Lopez’s live
Adam Lopez, a forklift driver from the village of Mattishall in Norfolk, England, went through both the highest and lowest instants of his life within just a few months. Last July, he noticed something not normal in his bank account. One of the five lottery tickets he had got for five pounds—just over five dollars—had won the National Lottery.
What the BBC has report, his bank balance skyrocketed from £12.40 (about $16.60) to £1,000,012.40—close to $1,340,017. He had got the winning ticket at a corner shop near Norwich.
“When I saw the million pounds, I didn’t know what to do, so I just put the scratch card in the glove compartment without thinking,” he told the outlet.
“Not even in my wildest dreams”
The 39-year-old’s life was totally different.
“Not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine this would happen to me. I feel so blessed,” he said.
With his newfound fortune, López saw an opportinuty to enjoy life, treat his loved ones, and save for what would come next.
Firstly, the forklift driver seemed clear about the wau he wanted to spend his winnings—on what he named as “well-deserved fun.” He started by showering his family with gifts, including new Range Rovers for himself and his mother, and treating them to a vacation in Barbados. What everybody would really enjoy. However, after the initial generosity, López started spending the rest of his money on nonstop parties that lasted three months. In addition he quit his job—a decision he is not happy nowadays—and gradually lost control of his life.
“It was a complete disconnection from the life I was leading,” he admits.
What happened at the end
The constant partying soon took a toll on his health and his life. Some months later, López found himself in the back of an ambulance on the way to the closest hospital. Doctors at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital diagnosed him with a bilateral pulmonary embolism after a blood clot in his leg spread to his lungs.
“I allowed myself to live a life I’d never lived before, but I think I made a mistake,” he confessed in the interview.
Back in time during those months of celebration, he had been thrilled with his totally changed lifestyle but neglected his health.
“I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t breathe. I called the ambulance, they wheeled me out of my house, and what really changed my life was lying in the back of the ambulance hearing the sirens,” he recalled.
The health scare was a much-needed wake-up call. “It just makes you look at both sides of life,” López reflected.
Similar cases
The BBC did not report whether or not Lopez lost his fortune. But Lopez is far from being the only lotto winner who used his winnings to party hard. Many winners lost all of their money.
Michael Carroll, a former garbage collector from Norfolk, England, won £9.7 million (about $12.7 million) in the UK National Lottery in 2002 at age 19. His extravagant lifestyle following the win earned him the nickname “Lotto Lout.”
He reportedly spent large portions of his winnings on parties, luxury cars, jewelry, and other indulgences. His Norfolk mansion became known for hosting frequent gatherings that drew widespread media attention.
By 2010, Carroll had exhausted his fortune and was reportedly bankrupt. He later returned to manual labor jobs, including work as a garbage collector and a coalman.
