Treetops Lottery player John Bull had only ever won a game of bingo on holiday before scooping the £2,000 jackpot prize in the recent Treetops Lottery Super Draw.
John, 74, from Borrowash, first joined the Treetops Lottery last October and had bought extra tickets for the annual Super Draw held every Spring. He was ‘overwhelmed’ to hear he’d won the top cash prize. He said: “I’ve never won anything substantial like this in my life so I’m very grateful. If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”
John generously donated some of his winnings back to the end-of-life charity and plans to share the rest with his children and grandchildren.
This year’s Super Draw raised over £12,000 for Treetops Hospice based in Risley. Proceeds raised helps the hospice to provide vital care for local people with a life-limiting condition and those who’ve been bereaved.
The hospice was a lifeline for Catherine Mears and her family when her mum, Dorothy Johnson, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer which affects the body’s immune system.
Catherine explained how the Treetops Hospice at Home nurses were invaluable in supporting her mum’s wish to die at home: “Everything happened quite quickly. Mum was in hospital for a spell, but she definitely preferred to be at home. She was living downstairs, and my Dad was sleeping on a camp bed in the dining room to take care of her. Dad was in his late seventies at that time, so we knew he needed help.”
“Having the Treetops nurses there overnight meant Dad could get a decent night’s sleep and wasn’t worrying. He could then cope a bit better and face the next day.
“I think if the Treetops nurses hadn’t helped, Dad would have struggled, and it would have got to a crisis point. The nurses were invaluable to us, especially my dad.”
Becki Lee-Jones, Lottery Manager, thanked all those who took part in the Super Draw. She said: “Our huge thanks go to everyone who bought tickets for the Super Draw and supported the hospice. Thanks to them we can continue to care for even more patients like Dorothy, and her family, when they need it the most.
“All proceeds from every Treetops Lottery ticket sold helps fund our vital services and makes a real difference to local people.”
For further information about the Treetops Lottery visit www.treetops.org.uk/lottery or call 0115 939 9339.
This year, Treetops Hospice is celebrating 40 years of caring for people and their families in the local community. During this time, the hospice has supported thousands of patients with end-of-life nursing care and bereavement counselling.