Latest news with #Margaret
Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
'I put a wash on and went to bed - then woke up a millionaire'
Margaret, 60, and John Campbell, 73, were on the Greek island of Rhodes when Margaret received an email from The National Lottery saying they had won a prize on the EuroMillions A couple from Liverpool were had returned home from celebrating their ruby wedding anniversary in Rhodes when they discovered they had become millionaires. Margaret, 60, and John Campbell, 73, had been enjoying the Greek sunshine when Margaret received an email from The National Lottery informing them of a win on the EuroMillions last month. Before jetting off for a week of relaxation and sunbathing, Margaret had purchased their usual EuroMillions Lucky Dip. However, as players cannot access The National Lottery app from abroad, she assumed the prize was "£2.80, like it always is" and continued to enjoy their sunny getaway. Upon returning home at 4am, Margaret's first thought wasn't to check her winnings, but rather to do some laundry and get some sleep. It was only later that morning when she woke up that she finally logged into her lottery account. Margaret shared: "I looked on the app and I'd only matched one number and it took me a few seconds to realise it was the Millionaire Maker code. I said to John, 'I think I've won a million pounds,' and he immediately said it must be a scam. I kept looking and thinking 'this says I've won.' "I called one of our two sons to say I'd won. When he arrived, I ran out of the door shouting 'I have, I've won.' He told me to get indoors before everyone found out." Margaret contacted The Allwyn, the operator of the National Lottery, and had the ticket details checked, reports the Liverpool Echo. She recalled: "The lady on the phone told me to get a pen and a piece of paper. She said write this down - one, zero, zero, zero, zero, zero, zero. That's what you've won, £1million. I was literally shaking, my hands were shaking." Even after their ticket was validated, the couple found it hard to believe they'd actually won. Margaret confessed: "I said I'd believe it when it was finally in my bank account. The other day I went for a shower and when I came out there was the notification from the bank, a £1million deposit. It's unbelievable." Margaret and John plan to use their winnings to "look after themselves and their family". They intend to use the money to help pay off house and car loans and ensure their two grown-up sons are secure. They've also booked another holiday for August and are planning to buy a new car. John thinks their win might have something to do with their dog, Kash, who sadly passed away shortly before they jetted off to Rhodes. John reflected: "He was a lovely dog and only six years old. Sadly, he wasn't well and couldn't be helped. We keep saying that is it Kash is looking down on us and bringing us cash with this big win." Margaret bagged the prize by matching the raffle code on the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker. Each ticket is assigned a unique code which is entered into a raffle, with a top prize of £1M. Margaret's winning ticket matched the raffle code MQDD 67764 in the draw on Tuesday, June 24.
Hamilton Spectator
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
How OnlyFans obsession is affecting men and their relationships: ‘Things started to get weird'
It started innocently enough with some yellow lingerie. Margaret* had been dating Justin* for almost two years in Toronto when he stopped offering to pay for their dinners out. The only thing he would happily buy for her was highlighter yellow lingerie — multiple different types of it. One day, Margaret looked through her boyfriend's phone. 'There were Instagram DMs from someone named Andrea, some OnlyFans girl,' she said. It took just one look at Andrea's social media for Margaret to understand what had gone awry in her relationship. 'He would only have sex with me when I looked like this girl,' Margaret said. 'Her Twitter was filled with photos of her in highlighter yellow lingerie.' 'There were Instagram DMs from someone named Andrea, some OnlyFans girl. He would only have sex with me when I looked like this girl.' OnlyFans is a content subscription service with 305 million subscribers as of 2023, up 27 per cent from the year prior. Used largely for pay-to-watch adult content , it has been praised for allowing sex workers to set their own prices, control their own schedules, and earn income directly from subscribers without relying on exploitative studios or intermediaries. OnlyFans creators often sell personalized content to their subscribers, who can directly message and interact with them. This unique feature has sent some users down the path of preoccupation, even obsession — some are calling it a new form of porn addiction. Jonah*, a 32-year-old Ontarian, cut himself off from using OnlyFans after spending thousands of dollars on the app over four years. 'I don't want to know the actual number, but I know it was in the thousands,' he said. 'I think about things I could have done with that money instead — travelled, or something more responsible.' Jonah was initially drawn to the site when one of his favourite porn stars advertised her page online. 'I like the idea of being able to interact with [a porn star] directly, being able to message with her and order custom videos.' Though he knows those 'custom' messages are often actually mass-distributed and sometimes even written by hired copywriters, he said the 'quasi-personal element' still seeped through. But then the shine wore off. 'The parasocial relationships I had with these women, where I knew who they were but they didn't know who I was, started to feel very empty,' he said. 'After a while, it just didn't feel as if there was a lot of value or adrenalin left to have.' Cynthia*, who lives in Montreal, discovered a charge to OnlyFans on her shared credit card with her husband of 21 years. 'He said he was just checking it out, and I let it go, but then things started to get weird,' she recalled. Months later, another charge appeared, this time for $100. When Cynthia filed for divorce after discovering her husband had also been addicted to drugs, she found out he'd spent thousands on OnlyFans over the years — enough that some months, she'd had trouble making their mortgage payments. 'It kills me to hear people joke about starting an account to raise money because this s—t messes with your head,' she said. 'It wasn't OnlyFans that destroyed our marriage, but it was definitely part of the problem.' 'OnlyFans drives these lonely men further into addiction. The app is always pushing to the 'next big thing' that's just one payment, one subscription, one pay-per-view away.' Marissa*, a 28-year-old Canadian OnlyFans creator, has seen such behaviour firsthand. 'I've had customers message me in a panic because they need content and they're on their last 10 dollars in their bank account,' she said. 'People confess to me that they're in credit card debt they cannot pay because they can't stop [watching my videos]. Some customers drop thousands of dollars on content in one week.' Marissa sometimes refuses to sell content to people she knows are choosing her one-minute video over eating dinner that day. 'They thank me for denying them, but 20 minutes later, they try to bargain again,' she said. '[They'll say], 'What if I just got something on your menu for five dollars?'' Another Canadian OnlyFans creator, 19-year-old Kayla*, began to notice the app's addictiveness when one of her regular subscribers, who worked a low-level office job, started paying her $1,000 a month, plus regular gifts. When she asked him how he could afford it, he told her he'd started taking out loans. After five months and thousands of dollars, Kayla woke up to a message from the client saying he had dug himself too deep into a financial hole and needed to stop. After that, he blocked her. 'This man in his mid-40s made me feel like I was his friend,' Kayla said. 'He shared personal parts of his life with me: his divorce, his kids, his career.' While the impulsive spending was his own responsibility, Kayla feels the platform is at fault as well: 'OnlyFans drives these lonely men further into addiction. The app is always pushing to the 'next big thing' that's just one payment, one subscription, one pay-per-view away, when in reality, all these women are the same.' Since OnlyFans took off, some men in their prime dating years — 20s and 30s — seem to be less interested in seeking in-person romantic connections. 'OnlyFans offers instant gratification without risking the vulnerability that comes with actual intimacy,'' said Niloufar Esmaeilpour, a registered clinical counsellor at Hamilton's Lotus Therapy and Counselling Centre. 'They'll say, 'Why go through the stress of dating when I can just log in and feel desirable?'' 'It's not uncommon for someone to compare their partner to creators they follow, which erodes self-esteem and intimacy in the relationship.' But this approach does not come without cost. 'The ability to handle emotional closeness, conflict, and evolution as a couple can atrophy over time,'' Esmaeilpour said, adding that OnlyFans addicts often struggle more with the rejection and compromise that real relationships require. In more extreme cases, it could contribute to sexual dysfunction, such as problems with arousal or performance with a partner. 'Users become so accustomed to highly stimulating, curated content,' Esmaeilpour said. 'It's not uncommon for someone to compare their partner to creators they follow, which erodes self-esteem and intimacy in the relationship.' Like many obsessions, OnlyFans addiction can be a sign of deeper inner turmoil for which a person can get help. ''Beneath the behaviour is almost always a part of the person trying to cope, soothe or feel something they don't feel elsewhere: valued, desired, in control, and less alone. Therapy helps explore what the behaviour is protecting,'' said Ken Fierheller of Alberta's One Life Counselling and Coaching. 'From there, people can start to heal the root causes, reconnect with themselves, and rebuild the capability for authentic intimacy.' *Names have been changed upon request.
Rhyl Journal
2 days ago
- Health
- Rhyl Journal
Patients sought for new NHS trial for brain cancer after man sees tumour vanish
The NHS study will recruit 16 people over an 18-month period and has been set up in memory of Baroness Margaret McDonagh, who died of the disease. People diagnosed with deadly glioblastoma will receive immunotherapy with the drug ipilimumab before undergoing standard treatment, when their immune system is at its strongest. The trial, from University College London Hospital's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, follows a previous one on the same drug which closed because of lack of recruitment. One patient from that trial, Ben Trotman, is still showing no signs of glioblastoma following the treatment – well over two years since he got the drug in a world first. Most people with glioblastoma die within 12-18 months. Mr Trotman was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2022, when he was 40. Now aged 43 and two years and eight months on from having the treatment, his scans are clear and there are no signs of tumour. Consultant medical oncologist, Dr Paul Mulholland, who is leading the new trial and treated Mr Trotman, said: 'It is very unusual to have a clear scan with glioblastoma, especially when he didn't have the follow-up surgery that had been planned to remove all of the tumour that was initially visible on scans. 'We hope that the immunotherapy and follow-up treatment Ben has had will hold his tumour at bay – and it has so far, which we are delighted to see.' Mr Trotman got married to Emily two months after the immunotherapy treatment and in April, his daughter Mabel was born. Mrs Trotman said: 'Getting this diagnosis was the most traumatic experience. We were grappling with the fact that Ben had gone from being apparently perfectly healthy to having months to live. 'Had we not met Dr Mulholland, that would have been it for us. We felt we had a lucky break in an otherwise devastating situation.' Mr Trotman went on to have the current standard treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He has quarterly scans, which continue to be clear. Mr Trotman said: 'We obviously don't know what the future holds but having had the immunotherapy treatment and getting these encouraging scan results has given Emily and I a bit of hope. 'We are focused on rebuilding the life we thought we had lost and enjoying being parents.' Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP led a fundraising campaign to raise more than £1 million to cover the costs of the new trial. Her sister, Baroness McDonagh, died from glioblastoma in 2023. Dame Siobhain said: 'My beloved sister Margaret was appalled to discover that there had been no advances in brain cancer treatment for decades when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma. 'Changing this was Margaret's final campaign and one that I have continued in her memory. 'I am so grateful to the many people who knew and respected Margaret who have come together and helped to raise funds and campaign for this new trial that we are calling Margaret's Trial.' Dr Paul Mulholland said: 'When I met Margaret she said to me 'what can I do to support you to cure this disease?'. 'I am incredibly grateful to her and to Siobhain whose campaigning and fundraising in her sister's memory has led to this new clinical trial opening for patients with this most aggressive form of brain cancer that has such a poor prognosis, with most patients surviving just nine months after diagnosis. 'The crucial element of this trial is that patients will have their immune system boosted by the drug before they have any other treatment, when they are fit and well enough to tolerate the immunotherapy. 'We're taking everything we have learned from previous trials into this new study and we are already planning follow-on trials. 'My aim is to find a cure for glioblastoma.' The National Brain Appeal is currently funding two posts in support of Dr Mulholland's research. Treatment will take place at the NIHR UCLH's Clinical Research Facility and at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Patients interested in the new Win-Glio trial should discuss it with their consultant.
South Wales Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Patients sought for new NHS trial for brain cancer after man sees tumour vanish
The NHS study will recruit 16 people over an 18-month period and has been set up in memory of Baroness Margaret McDonagh, who died of the disease. People diagnosed with deadly glioblastoma will receive immunotherapy with the drug ipilimumab before undergoing standard treatment, when their immune system is at its strongest. The trial, from University College London Hospital's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, follows a previous one on the same drug which closed because of lack of recruitment. One patient from that trial, Ben Trotman, is still showing no signs of glioblastoma following the treatment – well over two years since he got the drug in a world first. Most people with glioblastoma die within 12-18 months. Mr Trotman was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2022, when he was 40. Now aged 43 and two years and eight months on from having the treatment, his scans are clear and there are no signs of tumour. Consultant medical oncologist, Dr Paul Mulholland, who is leading the new trial and treated Mr Trotman, said: 'It is very unusual to have a clear scan with glioblastoma, especially when he didn't have the follow-up surgery that had been planned to remove all of the tumour that was initially visible on scans. 'We hope that the immunotherapy and follow-up treatment Ben has had will hold his tumour at bay – and it has so far, which we are delighted to see.' Mr Trotman got married to Emily two months after the immunotherapy treatment and in April, his daughter Mabel was born. Mrs Trotman said: 'Getting this diagnosis was the most traumatic experience. We were grappling with the fact that Ben had gone from being apparently perfectly healthy to having months to live. 'Had we not met Dr Mulholland, that would have been it for us. We felt we had a lucky break in an otherwise devastating situation.' Mr Trotman went on to have the current standard treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He has quarterly scans, which continue to be clear. Mr Trotman said: 'We obviously don't know what the future holds but having had the immunotherapy treatment and getting these encouraging scan results has given Emily and I a bit of hope. 'We are focused on rebuilding the life we thought we had lost and enjoying being parents.' Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP led a fundraising campaign to raise more than £1 million to cover the costs of the new trial. Her sister, Baroness McDonagh, died from glioblastoma in 2023. Dame Siobhain said: 'My beloved sister Margaret was appalled to discover that there had been no advances in brain cancer treatment for decades when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma. 'Changing this was Margaret's final campaign and one that I have continued in her memory. 'I am so grateful to the many people who knew and respected Margaret who have come together and helped to raise funds and campaign for this new trial that we are calling Margaret's Trial.' Dr Paul Mulholland said: 'When I met Margaret she said to me 'what can I do to support you to cure this disease?'. 'I am incredibly grateful to her and to Siobhain whose campaigning and fundraising in her sister's memory has led to this new clinical trial opening for patients with this most aggressive form of brain cancer that has such a poor prognosis, with most patients surviving just nine months after diagnosis. 'The crucial element of this trial is that patients will have their immune system boosted by the drug before they have any other treatment, when they are fit and well enough to tolerate the immunotherapy. 'We're taking everything we have learned from previous trials into this new study and we are already planning follow-on trials. 'My aim is to find a cure for glioblastoma.' The National Brain Appeal is currently funding two posts in support of Dr Mulholland's research. Treatment will take place at the NIHR UCLH's Clinical Research Facility and at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Patients interested in the new Win-Glio trial should discuss it with their consultant.
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Health
- Leader Live
Patients sought for new NHS trial for brain cancer after man sees tumour vanish
The NHS study will recruit 16 people over an 18-month period and has been set up in memory of Baroness Margaret McDonagh, who died of the disease. People diagnosed with deadly glioblastoma will receive immunotherapy with the drug ipilimumab before undergoing standard treatment, when their immune system is at its strongest. The trial, from University College London Hospital's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, follows a previous one on the same drug which closed because of lack of recruitment. One patient from that trial, Ben Trotman, is still showing no signs of glioblastoma following the treatment – well over two years since he got the drug in a world first. Most people with glioblastoma die within 12-18 months. Mr Trotman was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2022, when he was 40. Now aged 43 and two years and eight months on from having the treatment, his scans are clear and there are no signs of tumour. Consultant medical oncologist, Dr Paul Mulholland, who is leading the new trial and treated Mr Trotman, said: 'It is very unusual to have a clear scan with glioblastoma, especially when he didn't have the follow-up surgery that had been planned to remove all of the tumour that was initially visible on scans. 'We hope that the immunotherapy and follow-up treatment Ben has had will hold his tumour at bay – and it has so far, which we are delighted to see.' Mr Trotman got married to Emily two months after the immunotherapy treatment and in April, his daughter Mabel was born. Mrs Trotman said: 'Getting this diagnosis was the most traumatic experience. We were grappling with the fact that Ben had gone from being apparently perfectly healthy to having months to live. 'Had we not met Dr Mulholland, that would have been it for us. We felt we had a lucky break in an otherwise devastating situation.' Mr Trotman went on to have the current standard treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He has quarterly scans, which continue to be clear. Mr Trotman said: 'We obviously don't know what the future holds but having had the immunotherapy treatment and getting these encouraging scan results has given Emily and I a bit of hope. 'We are focused on rebuilding the life we thought we had lost and enjoying being parents.' Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP led a fundraising campaign to raise more than £1 million to cover the costs of the new trial. Her sister, Baroness McDonagh, died from glioblastoma in 2023. Dame Siobhain said: 'My beloved sister Margaret was appalled to discover that there had been no advances in brain cancer treatment for decades when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma. 'Changing this was Margaret's final campaign and one that I have continued in her memory. 'I am so grateful to the many people who knew and respected Margaret who have come together and helped to raise funds and campaign for this new trial that we are calling Margaret's Trial.' Dr Paul Mulholland said: 'When I met Margaret she said to me 'what can I do to support you to cure this disease?'. 'I am incredibly grateful to her and to Siobhain whose campaigning and fundraising in her sister's memory has led to this new clinical trial opening for patients with this most aggressive form of brain cancer that has such a poor prognosis, with most patients surviving just nine months after diagnosis. 'The crucial element of this trial is that patients will have their immune system boosted by the drug before they have any other treatment, when they are fit and well enough to tolerate the immunotherapy. 'We're taking everything we have learned from previous trials into this new study and we are already planning follow-on trials. 'My aim is to find a cure for glioblastoma.' The National Brain Appeal is currently funding two posts in support of Dr Mulholland's research. Treatment will take place at the NIHR UCLH's Clinical Research Facility and at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Patients interested in the new Win-Glio trial should discuss it with their consultant.
