Lottery Winner, Finally Able to Afford Healthcare, Learns He Has Cancer and Dies Within Weeks of Getting $1 Million

In a tragedy that captures the broken U.S. healthcare system, a New York state man died of cancer weeks after a $1 million lottery win allowed the uninsured man to finally visit the doctor.

The stage 4 cancer diagnosis he was given, Donald Savastano’s mother said, “was just too late.”

Fifty-one-year old Savastano bought the ticket Dec. 30 at a convenience store in Masonville. On Jan. 8, days after getting a ceremonial check, he received the lump sum of $661,800. He died January 26.

“This is going change our lives, to tell you the truth,” he said after claiming the prize.

“Being a self-employed carpenter, I didn’t really have a plan for retirement,” he said to the New York Lottery. “The money will help with that. I don’t have any other extravagant plans. I’ll buy a new truck, pay off some debt, and invest for the future.” 

The new money would also let him afford a trip to the doctor. The New York Post reports that Savastano “had been scrounging up every penny he had for the doctor’s visit, and was looking forward to finally getting an answer about the pain he was having, according to his mom, Annette Savastano.”

Danielle Scott, the cashier who sold Savastano the ticket, said to WBNG, “He was self employed, he didn’t have insurance, he hadn’t been feeling good for a while I guess, and when he got the money he went into the doctor.”