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- A New Jersey man joined a $1 million-winning lottery pool at a local hospital after breaking his hip while walking to buy a ticket.
- Earl Livingston fell and broke his hip while walking to buy a lottery ticket. He was taken to Jefferson Stratford Hospital.
- Staff at the hospital allowed him to join their lottery pool which ultimately included a $1 million-winning ticket.
A New Jersey man literally got a lucky break when he joined a $1 million-winning lottery pool at a local hospital after breaking his hip while walking to buy a ticket.
Earl Livingston, 87, of Blackwood, New Jersey, was walking to the store Tuesday to pick up a lottery ticket when he fell and broke his hip. He was taken to Jefferson Stratford Hospital, where he shared his story with staff members.
“He told them he was on his way to buy a lottery ticket and he was disappointed that he didn’t get it,” Livingston’s niece, Bobbie Mickle, told NBC10. “So they said, ‘Why don’t you go in with us? We’re also buying a lottery ticket.’”
A physician’s assistant welcomed Livingston into the hospital’s lottery pool along with 141 others. That pool ended up including a winning, $1 million ticket purchased in Lindenwold, New Jersey.
“I didn’t believe him when I got here,” Mickle said. “I thought he was confused, maybe from pain meds. And then the staff came into the room and they were saying congratulations. And I was like, ‘Wow, he really did win.’”
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Livingston will need a hip replacement. But he has a nice remedy for the pain thanks to a kind hospital staff and a little bit of luck.
“I want to thank everybody,” Livingston said. “I appreciate very much and God bless you and have a happy, happy long life!”
