$2M Peninsula Lottery Winnings To Aid Cancer Survivor’s Recovery

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A Peninsula couple that’s endured illness is now celebrating wealth.

Jose Martinez won $2 million on a Scratchers ticket that will aid his wife Rachel, a cancer survivor, with her recovery, lottery officials said in a news release.

Martinez told lottery officials he picked the orange-colored game out of a South San Francisco Speedway convenience store vending machine because it matched a bracelet his wife wears to promote leukemia awareness.

“My wife was at home sick from cancer, and the band she wears for leukemia awareness is orange. The colors of the bracelet and Scratchers ticket are almost identical!” Martinez said.

“I had a little extra change, so I went for it. It was orange. And thank goodness I did!”

Martinez initially couldn’t believe his eyes when he viewed the results of the Instant Prize Crossword scratcher.

“I scanned it with the California Lottery app, and my mouth just dropped. I couldn’t talk. I’ve never seen so many zeros before,” Martinez said.

“I texted a screen shot to my wife. She didn’t answer right away, so I called. I could hear her crying,” Martinez recalled.

“We’re just overwhelmed!”

Martinez’s win came almost four years to the day of his wife’s cancer diagnosis.

Rachel says she must take medication for the rest of her life to prevent recurrence.

“This (prize money) is just a blessing because I can’t work,” Rachal said.

“The pain from the medication is too much, so we’ve had to rely on Jose’s income.”

The couple plans to use a portion of their winnings for a stairlift to help Rachel.

“Going up the stairs is killing us,” said Rachel. ”Now we’re thinking we can put in a little elevator to help us because our kitchen is upstairs.”

Jose Martinez had just won $10,000 on a Scratchers game only three months ago, lottery officials said.

“This couldn’t have come at a better time,” he said.

“It’s going to help us catch up on our credit cards and remodel our house. When you think it into existence, it comes true!”