A woman has spoken of how she was diagnosed with cancer only weeks after her family won the National Lottery.
As he was laid up in bed recovering from Covid last January, Mark Francis, from Swansea, found out he won the Euromillions Millionaire Maker draw - and quickly phoned fiancée Helen Taylor to tell her they had scooped £1 million.
The pair have since been able to buy a home, follow Wales to all Six Nations games and upgrade their cars - but the last 18 months have not been without their challenges.
During a routine check up a few months later, Helen was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Thankfully it was caught early, and she went through treatment.
Helen has just celebrated her first year being cancer free - and says she is now looking forward to her wedding.
She told Wales Online: "After the high of winning, it was a massive bump,"
"It was a lot to take in but we all got through it together and now we can look forward and plan our wedding and celebration with all the family.
“After the win, my health scare definitely put everything into perspective but I was lucky once again, and now firmly on the mend we can really start to enjoy the win. We’ve been busy planning our wedding, and I feel blessed that I can choose things I want rather than what the budget dictates, having said that I’m not going wild, I’m still keeping a keen eye on the pennies."
Helen, who works as a carer for Swansea council, was with a patient when she could see that Mark had tried to phone her several times, but had no idea the good news he was trying to tell her.
"I was just about to shower a lady, and told him I couldn't speak," she remembers. "But he was saying no,no, no, I need to tell you we have won the lottery."
Delivery driver Mark, from Swansea, had bought a ticket with the winning UK Millionaire Maker code on January 4, 2022, and found out he won while trying to cheer himself up because he felt ill.
The 50-year-old said: " I was at home watching daytime TV when in between the coughing and spluttering from my bout of Covid"
"I was idly checking my results on the National Lottery app. When it flashed up I was a winner I called the line definitely not expecting to end it as a millionaire. It’s still a blur to this day!
“It’s been an amazing 18 months for us, winning the lottery is truly life changing. We’ve been able to buy a home, follow Wales to all Six Nations games and upgrade our cars. As cars, and driving, are my ‘thing’ this is more meaningful than it sounds! Driving my Audi Q3 RS brings me so much joy, every time I get in that car, it feels like I’m winning all over again!”
The couple haven't given up their jobs since winning, but say the money has given them security.
They bought a house, a caravan on the Gower where all the family, including their five grandchildren aged between two and 15, can spend time together and they have been busy planning for their wedding in September.
