Wins IDR 38 Billion Lottery, This Man Uses Prizes For His Son's Operation Fee

JAKARTA - An oil and gas worker from the Philippines who won 10 million dirhams or around IDR 38,951,810,420 in the Mahzooz lottery, said the money would be used for the treatment of his son's cerebral palsy.

Paterio, who chose not to reveal his last name, has worked in Fujairah for three years to support his wife and two children in the Philippines. He had not seen them since the coronavirus pandemic began.

The 54-year-old is the latest winner of the Mahzooz weekly lottery.

"The money couldn't have come at a better time", Paterio told The National News.

"My son has cerebral palsy and he needs surgery which can really help him. With this money, we can try to improve his life. It changed our lives", he said.

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that affects movement and muscle tone or posture. It causes movement disorders and can also cause swallowing problems and eye muscle imbalances.

There is no cure, but it can be treated and managed. Meanwhile, estimates put the lifetime cost of treatment for the condition at around $1 million.

Patrio's 18-year-old son has suffered from cerebral palsy since childhood, requiring feeding tubes through the mouth and nose.

The money would pay for an operation that could create a gastrostomy tube, feeding his son straight through the stomach, perhaps, he said.

To note, Mahzooz, formerly known as Emirates Loto, is one of several jackpot draws in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Participants in the Mahzooz raffle must register online and purchase a bottle of water worth 35 dirhams or equivalent to IDR 136,331 to enter the raffle. The bottles are collected by the organization and donated to charity.

Many lives in the UAE have been changed from the results of this lottery. Last month, an unbanked Bangladeshi crane operator in Dubai won Dh1m from the Mahzooz lottery.

Abdul Kadeer earns 2,400 dirhams a month, most of which he sends back to his family.