Write stuff: £1M winner Des turns rollercoaster life into book

Now, Des has told the story of her eventful life in a self-published book called ‘And Then’. It fulfils a promise she made to herself on the day she won her incredible prize.

When Des got a call from her husband Wayne in August 2014 informing her they’d become millionaires, she realised her family was finally on the up again after some challenging years. She said, “I was 50 when I was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer which required invasive surgery and chemotherapy, and the seven years that followed were a catalogue of horror for the whole family.

“During my treatment I ‘died’ twice from respiratory failure and spent 11 days in ICU. Halfway through chemo and unrelated to the cancer, I developed Cauda Equina Syndrome which required further surgery. I think you can safely say, we’d hit rock bottom.”

Although Des was still recovering from her latest surgery when she won EuroMillions, the mum of three was determined to celebrate her good fortune. When she shared her amazing story with journalists she vowed to herself she’d write it all down one day.

She said, “As I was recounting my life, I kept hearing a voice in my head saying ‘you should write a book’. Admittedly it’s taken me a while to get around to finishing it and I have had some help along the way. But it feels right to finally publish my story.”

Des’ book is called ‘And Then’, a title that reflects the incredible highs and horrendous lows she and her family have experienced in recent years. Beginning with her childhood, the book recounts her life in the WRENS, her first meeting with her ex-Submariner husband and the trials and tribulations of bringing up three children.

Des said, “I didn’t for one minute think I could write it all down in a book, then again neither did I think I would ever be a cancer survivor or hold a National Lottery cheque for £1MMillion!”

Des still faces health challenges, but is a natural optimist. She said, “I wrote the book as a bucket list moment and for family and friends, but if it helps just one other person stay positive I shall be overjoyed. We really don’t know what is around the corner on the rollercoaster of life, so I shall continue to grab every moment and live it as well and as thoroughly as I can.”

This November marks The National Lottery’s 30th anniversary. Since its launch in 1994, it has made more than 7,200 millionaires or multi-millionaires. On average, seven millionaires are made every week.

By playing The National Lottery you help generate £30MMillion each week for National Lottery-funded projects. Since 1994, more than 690,000 grants have been made to projects across the UK with recipients ranging from local charities to Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

24th October 2024