Niagara area cancer patient wins $100K lottery prize

John Heffern of Niagara-on-the-Lake is $100,000 richer after winning the top prize with Instant 7-11-21 (Game #2335).

John said his partner bought him this ticket in hopes of boosting his morale while going through cancer treatments. “He wanted to bring some joy to my life while going through radiation and chemotherapy,” he shared while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his winnings.

The retired chef manager said he thought he won a small amount at first, and then got a big surprise when his partner scanned his ticket using the OLG App. “We couldn’t believe when we saw $100,000 – we were jumping up and down. I was like a kid in a candy store," he laughed.

John said he didn’t hesitate to tell everyone he knows about his win. “All my friends were so excited for me. I posted a photo on Facebook with the ticket in my hand and got many heartwarming messages,” he smiled.

"This definitely makes my treatments go by easier. It gives me something to look forward to – a bright light at the end of the tunnel."

John would like to travel the world with his winnings. "I want to travel from the West Coast to the East Coast on a cruise. I had to cancel all my travel plans for my cancer treatments but now I can look forward to travelling the world, buying a new flat screen for my partner, and paying off my truck," he concluded.

OLG supports safe play and wants to keep the fun in the game. That’s why OLG is proud to be a leader in promoting responsible gambling with their globally-recognized PlaySmart program, says the news release from OLG announcing the win.

Instant 7-11-21 was available for $5 and the top prize was $100,000. Odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.80. Visit the Instant page on OLG.ca for more information on this and other great games.

The winning ticket was purchased at Bob's Fast and Fresh Convenience on Niagara Stone Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake.