After two separate near-death experiences, a Lincolnshire couple have won £333,333
A husband and wife who both nearly died within months of each other have been handed a £333,333 Postcode Lottery windfall.
Rebecca Andrews, 46, and her husband, David Docherty, 70, were one of three ticket holders in Glentham, Lincolnshire, to share the £1m life-altering sum.
On the win, Ms Andrews said: “It doesn’t feel real at all. I lost my job in the NHS in January. David nearly died. Then I nearly died.
“It’s been that kind of year you don’t wish on anybody.”
Earlier this year, Mr Docherty, who works for the ambulance services, was left fighting for his life after years of suffering with chronic diverticulitis, where repeated internal bleeding eventually led to emergency surgery.
In total, he spent five weeks in intensive care, losing more than two stone.
Recalling the experience, he said: “”I got to the stage where I just thought, ‘If I go, I go.
“It was that bad that I stopped caring if I lived.’
Just months later, Ms Andrews suffered her own terrifying ordeal following a severe allergic reaction to a hornet sting.
Had paramedics not been able to reach her as quickly as they did, it “could have been the end,” Ms Andrews said.
The couple described the win as “a complete shock” after the difficult year they’d had.
Mr Docherty added: “You come through all the rubbish, and then sometimes something wonderful happens. This has given us hope again.”
For Mr Docherty, the win is yet another remarkable chapter in a life dedicated to helping others.
Having supported the British forces in the Balkans 30 years ago, he became known as ‘The White Knight of Croatia’ after dedicating himself to helping orphaned and injured children during the Kosovo conflict.
His efforts inspired several soldiers to join his aid missions, where together, these missions ended up turning into a fundraising campaign that transformed countless lives across the country.
For Mr Docherty, one event remains particularly memorable, where a young girl, unable to afford treatment, was facing losing her sight due to cancer. Upon hearing this, Mr Docherty immediately paid for the operation.
When he returned to Croatia years later, he found her healthy, smiling, and playing with friends.
The winning couple said that they plan to share their winnings with family and friends, as well as add to their collection of pets, which currently includes horses, chickens, a cat, two cockatiels, and Elvis the cockerel.
Ms Andrews shared, “I just want to look after friends and family and see them happy.”
Both also welcomed the news that local charities would also receive thousands of pounds as a result of their Millionaire Street win.
Mr Docherty said: “That almost brings a tear to your eye more than us winning.
“Knowing local charities, animals and people with learning disabilities will benefit too — that’s wonderful.”
Four Lincolnshire-based charities — the Lincolnshire Trust for Cats, Lincolnshire Rural Support Network, Rock Foundation and the Caistor Foodbank, have also been given a combined £200,000 by the Postcode Lottery.
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