UAE Emirates Draw: Cancer patient, employee who didn’t receive salary for months win Dh77,777 each

An expat in the UAE, who remained unpaid for several months, and another, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, were among the three Emirates Draw winners announced on Wednesday.

The three expats won Dh77,777 each.

Firuz Najmiddunov, 38, from Uzbekistan was on the verge of packing up and leaving to his home country as he remained without a salary for several months. The expat, who has been living in Dubai for the past seven years, asked his young nephew to choose the winning numbers for him.

He struck Dh77,777 at his second attempt with Emirates Draw.

“When I saw the email in my inbox, I really thought it was a scam. I just couldn’t believe it. I have been without a salary for many months now. I have been praying non-stop. I was down to my last few hundred dirhams. My lovely nephew suggested the numbers and I thought I have nothing to lose. This money changes everything for me,” he said.

Meanwhile, Melroy Fernandes, A 61-year-old resident of Fujairah, had been diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. He was fearful of the future and what his cancer diagnosis would mean for his son’s future.

Melroy hopes to use his winnings to ensure his son receives the “education he deserves”, while “continuing to support those in his hometown who have suffered the most as a result of Covid”.

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“I hope to use this money to support my husband to start his own graphic design business, as he lost his job because of the pandemic. I will also make a donation to charity.”