Laotian Immigrant with Cancer Among Winners of Lottery Prize

A Laotian immigrant who has battled cancer for eight years will share hundreds of millions of dollars with a friend after winning a game of chance.

Forty-six-year-old Cheng Saephan lives in Portland, Oregon. He spoke at a news conference held by the Oregon Lottery on Monday. He said he and his wife, Duanpen, will take half of the prize money. He plans to give the rest to his friend.

That friend, Laiza Chao, gave $100 to buy lottery tickets with the couple.

Saephan said he was told he had cancer in 2016. He has been undergoing cancer treatment since then. He told reporters that he received his latest chemotherapy treatment last week.

With the money, he said, "I will be able to provide for my family and my health." He added that he would "find a good doctor."

Saephan has two young children. He said, "How am I going to have time to spend all of this money? How long will I live?" He said he prayed that he would be able to provide something for his children before the prize announcement.

After buying the lottery tickets, Chao sent a picture of the tickets to Saephan saying, "We're billionaires!" That was before the winning numbers were announced. Chao was just making a joke.

But the next day, the friends won.

Chao was on her way to work when Saephan called her to tell her they had won the lottery. "You don't have to go anymore," he said.

An immigrant from Laos

Saephan told reporters he was born in Laos and moved to Thailand in 1987. He came to America in 1994. He has lived in the Portland area for 30 years. He worked as a machinist for an aerospace company.

He appeared at the news conference wearing a piece of cloth that identified him as Iu Mien, a southeast Asian ethnic group with roots in southern China.

"I am born in Laos, but I am not Laotian," Saephan told reporters. "I am Iu Mien."

The Iu Mien aided American forces during the Vietnam War. After the end of the conflict, they feared punishment from the communist fighters who took over the government. Thousands of Iu Mien fled Laos at that time.

Tens of thousands of Iu Mien immigrated to the United States through a refugee rescue program. Many of them moved to the West Coast area. Many have attended universities and started businesses. The Iu Mien community in the Portland area is large, with a Buddhist temple, a Baptist church, social organizations, businesses and restaurants.

How much did they win?

The Oregon Lottery game is known as Powerball. Many other states hold Powerball lotteries.

The announced prize was $1.3 billion dollars. However, that total would be paid out over 30 years. Instead, the winners can choose to take a single payment that is lower. The reported total for the winners in Portland is about $422 million dollars after federal and state taxes are taken out.

Oregon does not permit winners of the Powerball lottery to keep their identities from the public with a few exceptions. The prize is said to be the fourth-largest Powerball prize in history.

I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.

Claire Rush and Gene Johnson reported this story for the Associated Press. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English with additional sources.

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Words in This Story

lottery –n. a game of chance in which the winner has bought a ticket with the same numbers as those picked at random during a regular drawing (if no one wins the drawing, the prize money increases)

ticket –n. a paper or electronic evidence that you have paid to attend or take part in an activity, travel on a vehicle or play a game

aerospace –adj. related to the industry of making aircraft and spacecraft