Rewarding Hospital Career Leads to Big Win and Early Retirement

January 15, 2021

Terry with his pay day lotto winnings

Congratulations to Terry Steacy, Mental Health and Rehabilitation Services at Royal Jubilee Hospital, on winning Payday Lotto!

I was sitting at my desk at work when my personal phone rang—it was a staff member from the Victoria Hospitals Foundation. The woman on the phone said she had good news for me. I had won Payday Lotto.

My heart started to beat faster and my face was turning red, and I found it hard to even form a sentence other than, “Oh my God. Oh my God. I don’t believe it.”

The woman on the phone said it was her first time making a winning lottery phone call. She was just as excited as me. I thanked her about three or four times.  I was ecstatic. I just had to tell someone the news, maybe just to make it feel real.

I knew my co-workers Fay and Shannon were in the office downstairs. When I told them, Fay said, “You’re just kidding!” But Shannon responded right away, saying, “No, he’s telling the truth this time, I can tell!”  They said they were so happy for me.

When I phoned my wife Sharon, I asked, “Are you sitting down?” She said, “Okay, what’s going on?” I think she thought I was playing around. I told her we just won $46,465.00. She said, “What? You’re kidding!” Listening to her on the phone, I could tell she was just as excited as me.

Winning has made a great difference in our life, as we were working on a healthy nest egg for retirement that was just around the corner, and this cinched the deal. It allowed us to move into retirement on December 1, 2021 feeling that much more secure.

I was an employee for Island Health for just short of 23 years. My career path has been working in Mental Health and Rehabilitation Services. In those 23 years, I mostly worked with the Open Door Rehab Program.

It feels very rewarding to know that playing this lotto enabled me to give back to those in our hospitals who need our help. My heart has always been directed towards helping others. That is why working for Island Health was such a rewarding career for me.

If you want to help others, and be the next in Payday Lotto winner, sign up and cross your fingers. I played the lotto for about a year before my numbers came up. So far, three of us players in the Cowichan Valley have been winners.

Finally, I would like to thank all the kind-hearted people at the Victoria Hospitals Foundation who made winning an exceptionally wonderful experience.

Thank you so much,

Terry Steacy