Dh7M lotto winner is a life-saver
abu dhabi — An Indian expat, who hit the Dh7 million jackpot in Big Ticket Abu Dhabi’s ‘super 7 series’ on Wednesday, has turned out to be a life-saver for a kidney patient. Mohammed Kunhi Mayyala from Kerala has said that the first thing he would do with the money is pay for the kidney transplantation surgery of his close relative.
“He is like my own brother. Both his kidneys are dysfunctional and he has been struggling with weekly dialysis for many years now. I cannot express in words how happy I am that I can now bear the expenses for his surgery and other required medical care,” Mayyala, 42, told Khaleej Times.
The relative used to work in Abu Dhabi but had to go back to India two years ago due to his medical condition.
A salesman at a garment shop in Bani Yas in Abu Dhabi, Mayyala has been in the UAE for the last 15 years. He is married with two sons aged six and
two. The family resides in Kerala.
Like many other winners, Mayyala thought it was a scam when he got the call from the Big Ticket office. “A few weeks ago, I had received a call from scamsters saying I won a jackpot in an Etisalat raffle draw. I thought this call was also fake. Only after checking the website did I believe them.”
Mayyala said he would use part of the money to help rebuild Kerala that was recently hit by floods. He will also use the cash to build a house and start a business. When asked how he would break the news to his family, Mayyala said: “I am yet to decide whether to tell my kids. I don’t want them to grow up thinking that their father is loaded with cash. It is better that they grow up knowing the value of money and the importance of helping fellow human beings with whatever little they have.”