Oregon man, Cheng “Charlie” Saephan, who has been battling cancer for eight years, recently received chemotherapy and expressed his gratitude that he can now bless his family and find a good doctor. The $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot that he won with his wife, Duanpen Saephan, and friend Laiza Chao has given them the opportunity to live a better life and purchase their dream home.
At an Oregon Lottery news conference, Saephan, 46, stated that although he’s happy for his family, he is concerned about how he will have time to spend all the money given his ongoing cancer battle. He plans to live a “normal” life moving forward and is excited about purchasing a “dream home.”
This win marked the fourth-largest jackpot in history for Powerball and the largest in Oregon. The winnings came from a ticket sold at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in Portland, earning the store a $100,000 bonus. Saephan, originally from Laos, has lived in Portland for 30 years and used computer-generated numbers when purchasing the winning ticket.
Despite his health struggles, Saephan was overwhelmed with joy when he discovered he won and immediately shared the news with his friend Chao, who was elated to learn that they had won the jackpot. Together
