Newfoundland woman with cancer dies two months after winning $1.5M lottery

When Diane Bishop won $1.5 million last November, the jackpot brought her something she hadn’t felt in a while: hope.

The convenience store operator from Mount Pearl, N.L. was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. By the time she won the “Super Set for Life” lottery, the disease had spread to her lung and femur.

In an interview after the win, Bishop said the money opened up new doors for treatment.

“I couldn’t go to the States, I could go to a lot of different places. But now, if need be, I have financial backing to go wherever I need to fight this,” Bishop told NTV at the time. “It feels like I have a chance to survive.”

Sadly, Bishop died of cancer Tuesday. She was 51.

An obituary for Bishop said she passed away surrounded by loved ones. The notice thanked the medical support staff who helped her during her “very courageous battle” with cancer.

Bishop’s story made headlines last November, when she was awarded the winnings in a giant cheque. The mother of two was upbeat about the jackpot, calling it a “miracle.”

Becoming a millionaire gave Bishop the freedom to quit her job to focus on her health. Her condition worsened just before Christmas, and she spent the holidays in hospital with her two sons.

More than anything, she said the money ensured that her children would be cared for, no matter what happened.

“It’s all I wanted. My prayers were answered. So, if I don’t get miracle number two, I got miracle number one – that my family is looked after. And I couldn’t ask for anything else,” she said.

A funeral service is scheduled for Saturday at Barrett's Funeral Home Chapel in St. John's.

Source: Ctvnews