Heartwarming moment dad tells son he won lottery after cancer battle
Paul Harvey, 51, from Attleborough, England, has had a difficult few years, undergoing treatment for bowel cancer. But last month, his luck changed when he won big on the National Lottery's EuroMillions Millionaire Maker draw.
The single father-of-two has big dreams for the life-changing sum, not least taking the family away on their first ever foreign holiday together, to Greece. He also plans to move house, as his current one doesn't have enough bedrooms for him and his kids, with Paul sleeping in the living room.
Paul also wants to buy a Fiat 500 car for his daughter to practice driving in, as she has her test booked later this year.
But before starting their new life, he had to break the news to his children - who were overjoyed and emotional about what the win would mean for the family.
Paul captured the adorable moment on camera, unable to contain his excitement as his son returned home from school.
Setting his phone up to record discreetly from the corner of the kitchen, he asked the boy: 'How many millionaires do you know?'
The teen, whose details the father is keeping private, responded: 'Zero, I've got not money.'
Paul then swore and told him: 'You do now,' and his son exclaimed: 'Shut up, you're joking, you're lying.'
Paul said he got 'a massive lump in my throat' as he began to tell his son of his win - but he was determined: 'I wanted to tell the kids in person.'
He continued: 'It felt like forever waiting for the kids to get home from school so I could break the news. Their reactions were hilarious and heart-warming. We all feel ridiculously excited and relieved in equal measure. It just doesn't seem real.
'Life hasn't always been easy, but the kids mean the world to me, and they always come first.'
Excited for their first ever foreign trip together, the father said: 'But first we need to get our passports.'
He explained why he has chosen Greece: 'I can speak Greek fluently and I can't wait to show off to the kids. I lived in Cyprus for 12 years when I was younger.
'I would love to go back one day but for now it's a holiday in Greece for me and the kids.'
Paul added: I am so proud of what the kids have achieved already in life. They both have big ideas about what they want to do when they leave school, and I cannot wait to help them in their chosen careers.
'It's the important stuff like helping them to learn to drive and getting them a car and insurance so they can get to college and then work.'
Reflecting on how else the sum will change his life, he said: 'We can afford our very own home and I can finally have my own bedroom rather than sleeping downstairs.'
Paul got an email from the National Lottery urging him to check his account and get in touch urgently, which he initially thought was a scam.
But he was soon astonished to discover he had won, after making sure using a unique confirmation code.
He concluded, ecstatic: 'This win gives us so many more options but I want to take my time and do it right.'
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