EuroMillions lottery joy for West Sussex cancer survivor
Jonathan Aldridge has won the prize after being diagnosed as a teenager
A Crawley man who beat a rare form of cancer in his late teens is hoping a lottery win marks the start of a brighter future for him and his family.
Jonathan Aldridge secured a £133,173.20 prize on the draw on June 18th after buying a couple of lucky dip tickets.
The now 32-year-old was 17 and studying for his A levels, when he discovered a growth on his neck which, after a series of tests, was confirmed as Hodgkin lymphoma.
Jonathan said:
“One minute I was living a typical teen lifestyle and then I was in the Royal Marsden Hospital, receiving particularly aggressive chemotherapy and lying awake at night thinking ‘this might be it’.
“Throughout I made a promise to myself to stay calm, I wanted to protect my mum from the heartache, so I put on a good show.
"When I was told that the cancer had progressed and that the treatment would need to continue with radiotherapy added to the mix, I wasn’t confident I would make it.
"But six harrowing months of treatment later, I was one of the very lucky ones to be told I was in remission, and they couldn’t detect any signs of the cancer."
Jonathan was ultimately able to return to school, complete his A levels and qualify as an accountant.
He says he's been on a long journey to rebuild his physical and mental health, and has described the win as 'the end of that epic journey and the beginning of a brighter future'.
“My family’s support has been central to my recovery so now, thanks to my sudden EuroMillions luck, I can repay that support.
“We are all very close, when I lost my hair due to the chemotherapy my four brothers all shaved their heads in solidarity, so now I’ll show my solidarity to them with a slap-up meal out to celebrate.
“I really hope that this amazing moment of luck heralds the start of a lucky phase not just for me, but for the whole family.
“We’ve had a tough time, just a couple of years ago my dad was taken into hospital for a triple heart by-pass, which resulted in two heart attacks, a two-month long coma and him losing both his legs due to complications. Again, the family pulled together and we have made it through, with a combination of determination and black humour.”
Jonathan’s winning adventure started when he bought a couple of Lucky Dip tickets for EuroMillions on 18 June 2024 on the National Lottery app using some previous winnings. He said,
Looking to the future, aside from treating his nearest and dearest, a few extra trips to the London Stadium to support his favourite team, West Ham, and eventually buying his own home, Jonathan has a clear plan, he said,
“I will never take for granted how lucky I was to beat cancer. I watched as other young sufferers, including my best friend, were not as lucky.
"So, in a way, I feel that living the very best life I can and making the most of this opportunity is in their honour too. I’m going to invest it wisely to build a bigger deposit for a home, and hopefully travel some more, all things that when I was lying in my hospital bed, I didn’t think would ever be possible.
“And I will be making a donation to Young Lives Versus Cancer (formerly Clic Seargant) who were there for me when I needed their support and understanding the most
“I shared the news of my win because hopefully it will show other people who may be going through a tough time that there is hope, and that magic does happen.”