Terminally ill Forth Valley grandfather's delight at scooping £1m on EuroMillions

Marlyn Anderson, 70, was stunned when she discovered that her EuroMillions lucky dip ticket had been successful.

But at first she thought she had won £10000 – but after counting the noughts discovered that she had the jackpot.

Now she plans to improve the quality of life for husband Ian, 77.

Currently the couple are forced to live their days and nights in their living room so Ian can receive the round-the-clock care he needs for the lung disease he developed after a lifetime working on construction sites.

The couple, who have two children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild, have been married 32 years but they had to give up foreign holidays due to Ian’s diagnosis of pleural plaques and pulmonary fibrosis, which he believes is linked to asbestos exposure.

A delighted Marlyn said: “This win couldn’t have come at a better time. It will ensure Ian can have the very best quality of life in the time he has left.

“As a result of Ian’s condition he is unable to get upstairs. His health is deteriorating, and he struggles to breathe so we currently have our living room set up like a bedsit. We have no other option.

“Buying a bungalow – and I think I have seen one already – will allow Ian to have his own bedroom and for us to have a sitting room too, all on one level. This will be so special as it is something we haven’t been able to do for such a long time. He will be able to live the rest of his life in comfort.”

Marlyn, who previously worked as a carer supporting people with learning disabilities and dementia, is now a full-time carer for Ian.

On March 12, she discovered that she had £4.90 left in her online Lottery account and decided to buy a EuroMillions ticket.

She added: “I just thought there is no point £4.90 just sitting in my account, I will buy a Lucky Dip ticket for the next draw.

“It was the day after the draw that I logged on to my emails just to see if there was any news about my ticket and there was. An email saying there was good news about my ticket.

"I initially thought we had won £1000 and I was absolutely delighted.

“I then started to count the zeros – and couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing – so I counted them again. I just kept thinking it couldn’t be true and it must be a scam! I was desperately watching the clock tick to 8am when I could call The National Lottery number to confirm if what I was seeing really was true.

“I couldn’t believe it when the person on the other end of the phone told me it was. I actually don’t think the news has fully sunk in yet.

"Neither Ian nor I can believe it. It still all seems very surreal. There is no other word to describe what we are going through right now.”

The couple has already been out to buy a car – a Citroen DS 7 Rivoli – and say they are looking forward to their next purchase of a bungalow, their absolute dream home.