A couple have become multimillionaires overnight after winning a charity competition.
Raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), the Omaze prize draw offered the chance to win a dream home in Wimbledon.
Valued at £3.5m, Heekyoung Jin (38) and her partner Tom Hall (36) are the lucky new owners of the stunning property.
Entering the charity contest on the first day it opened, Demand and Inventory Analyst Heekyoung purchased a ticket bundle for just £25.
The news that she would receive the star prize was revealed Love Actually-style on her doorstep, with carol singers and message cards provided by Omaze.
Heekyoung is also the mother of Lukas (2), a former patient at GOSH, who underwent life saving surgery at the hospital aged just three months old.
Following difficulty breathing, he was diagnosed with a rare condition, causing an irregular growth on his chest.
Undergoing surgery to remove the growth, he then remained an inpatient for a further three months.
Heekyoung said: “Great Ormond Street Hospital saved my child’s life, every single one of its staff were amazing and helped us through an incredibly difficult time.
“Thanks to them Lukas is now a healthy and happy boy, and we are eternally grateful. The work they do is so important, they’re real-life superheroes.
She added that they entered the draw because the charity is “close to our hearts” and the family “always dreamed of owning a house like this”.
She continued: “We used to live in a one bed flat in Wimbledon and would often walk past these houses imagining what it would be like to live in one, and now we actually do!
“We will be moving in as soon as possible. Lukas has already chosen his room.”
The stunning Wimbledon property has five bedrooms and all stamp duty and legal fees will be covered for them, with the added bonus of £20,000 in cash to help with running costs.
As well as changing the lives of this family, the draw has helped improve many others by raising £500,000 for GOSH.
Funding will go towards pioneering research, medical equipment, support services and maintenance of the hospital.
Louise Parkes, GOSH Charity’s Chief Executive, said: “Despite all the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, our mission has stayed the same: to help transform the lives of the seriously ill children who arrive at GOSH every day needing life-saving care.
“The pandemic has had a significant impact on our ability to fundraise so, the money raised by this Omaze campaign will make a real difference.”
This is the fifth house draw run by Omaze, with the next featuring another five bedroom property in Ascot.
Fundraising for Cancer Research UK, entries will remain open until the end of January 2022 and further information can be found via their website.
