USLiveNewsletter_Register

3 Lottery Wins in 12 months: Cancer Survivor Beats Odds Again

Keypoints Summary

  • 3 lottery wins year: David Serkin wins three times in 12 months
  • Cancer survivor calls the wins “a gift I can’t explain”
  • Total winnings now exceed $2.5 million across three state draws
  • Serkin beat stage 4 cancer just two years ago
  • Statisticians call it “nearly impossible”

3 Lottery Wins Year: Cancer Survivor David Serkin’s Unbelievable Streak

Some people dream of winning the lottery once. David Serkin just did it three times—this year.

Yes, you read that right. The 56-year-old cancer survivor from Albany, New York just hit another jackpot, marking his third major cash win in less than 12 months. His total haul now tops $2.5 million.

This isn’t just luck. This is legendary.

Serkin, who beat stage 4 lymphoma in 2022, says he plays scratch-offs “for fun, not fortune.” But fortune found him anyway. And it keeps finding him.

His first win came in August 2023. A $1 million instant ticket shocked his local gas station clerk and sent Serkin into a weeklong daze. Then in January 2024, he hit again—this time pulling $750,000 from a Mega Millions second-chance drawing.

Most people would retire. Not Serkin.

He kept working part-time at a community center, kept buying one ticket per week, and kept donating to the cancer ward where he once fought for his life.

And now? Lightning struck again. A $750,000 payday from a Quick Pick ticket matched five numbers in last week’s state draw.

“I don’t understand it,” Serkin said with tears in his eyes. “I just feel like someone up there is giving me a second, third, and fourth chance.”

This story isn’t about money. It’s about miracles.

And it’s the kind of headline that makes people believe in something more.

How One Survivor Defied the Odds Again and Again

To truly appreciate the magic of these 3 lottery wins, you have to rewind the clock.

David Serkin wasn’t always lucky.

In 2021, he was diagnosed with advanced-stage lymphoma. Doctors gave him a 20% chance of survival. He lost 40 pounds, spent 6 months in chemo, and watched his savings disappear as he fought for his life.

But he never gave up.

He credits his recovery to “faith, stubbornness, and the nurses who never stopped smiling.”

In late 2022, he rang the cancer bell, officially in remission. Life was quiet. Modest. Serkin returned to his part-time job, helped out at his local synagogue, and tried to enjoy the simple things.

Then came the scratch-off that changed everything.

“It didn’t feel real,” he said. “I thought it was a misprint.”

But it wasn’t. And that was just the beginning.

Now, three wins later, Serkin’s story isn’t just rare—it’s practically impossible.

Statisticians estimate the odds of his feat at over 1 in 100 billion. That’s rarer than being struck by lightning three times.

But Serkin doesn’t care about math.

He cares about moments. Family. Gratitude.

“I don’t play to get rich,” he said. “I play because I’m alive to play.”

And that mindset may just be the luckiest thing of all.

Community Reacts to Serkin’s Lottery Wins Streak

News of Serkin’s three lottery wins spread like wildfire.

Neighbors, friends, and former cancer ward patients flooded his home with messages of love and congratulations.

The local news station did a full segment titled “The Man Who Can’t Lose.”

And his hometown has unofficially renamed the street outside his house “Lucky Lane”—complete with homemade signs taped to light poles.

“He gives us hope,” one neighbor said. “He didn’t just beat cancer—he keeps winning at life.”

At the community center where Serkin still volunteers, staff threw a surprise celebration. They baked a cake shaped like a scratch-off ticket and gave him a golden coin with the words “Never Bet Against a Fighter” engraved on it.

But Serkin isn’t soaking up fame.

He’s staying grounded.

He’s already donated $100,000 to a children’s cancer research fund. He says he plans to use the rest to secure his retirement, pay off his house, and help his nieces and nephews with college.

“I won’t buy a yacht,” he said. “But I might finally fix the squeaky door in my kitchen.”

The Math Behind the Madness

So, how rare are three lottery wins in a single year?

We asked Dr. Linda Carver, a professor of statistics at NYU.

“This isn’t just rare—it’s statistically outrageous,” she said. “You’re looking at probabilities that stretch into the realm of science fiction.”

Carver noted that the average person’s chance of winning a large jackpot once in a lifetime is 1 in 302 million. To do it three times in a year? Multiply that by itself twice.

“You’d have a better chance of being elected President, writing a bestselling novel, and finding a four-leaf clover on Mars—on the same day,” she joked.

But Carver also added something profound: “Sometimes statistics bend for the people who’ve already bent reality. Survivors see the world differently. Maybe the universe sees them differently too.”

That sentiment now hangs on a handmade sign outside Serkin’s door.

Luck, Life, and a Lottery Legacy

The story of David Serkin’s 3 lottery wins isn’t about dollar signs.

It’s about resilience.

It’s about a man who faced death, smiled back, and is now smiling all the way to the bank—without losing his soul.

Three wins. One survivor. Countless hearts touched.

David Serkin may be the luckiest man alive.

But ask him, and he’ll say he already won the moment he got to wake up cancer-free.

What David Serkin Is Doing with His Lottery Winnings

Despite scoring three major jackpots in a single year, David Serkin isn’t rushing off to buy a yacht or a mansion. Instead, he’s handling his 3 lottery wins with humility, purpose, and surprising generosity.

According to close friends, Serkin has already put a large portion of his winnings into a secure trust. His first priority? Financial freedom. He paid off his mortgage, eliminated every outstanding debt, and created a savings plan that guarantees he’ll never have to work again if he chooses not to.

But retirement isn’t his goal.

Serkin has continued working part-time at the local community center—refusing a salary and choosing instead to donate supplies and equipment out of his own pocket. He’s also established a college fund for his nieces and nephews, and quietly contributed over $100,000 to cancer charities and children’s hospitals across the Northeast.

“I’ve had my miracle,” he told reporters. “Now I want to help someone else find theirs.”

Beyond that, he’s allowed himself a few modest luxuries. A new Subaru. A renovated kitchen. And, finally, a long-overdue vacation to Hawaii—his first in 15 years.

But there are no limousines. No designer clothes. No VIP parties.

“Money doesn’t change who you are,” Serkin said. “It just gives you the freedom to be more of it.”

And judging by his calm, generous nature, Serkin is using his newfound wealth not to flaunt—but to heal, to give, and to honor the life he fought so hard to keep.

In a world obsessed with excess, Serkin’s quiet choices make the loudest statement of all.

TOP HEADLINES

Israeli Airstrikes Hit Damascus Amid Syria’s Ongoing Clashes

In the city of Sweida, located in southern Syria, intense fighting broke out once...

20 Palestinians dead in Gaza at aid center, Israeli...

In the Gaza Strip, an unfortunate incident resulted in the loss of 20 Palestinian...

UK Inflation Surges, Could Delay Rate Reductions

LONDON — Consumer prices in the UK climbed to their highest level in nearly...

Hybrid SUVs Compared: Kia Sorento vs Toyota Highlander

The search for a family-friendly three-row SUV often leads buyers to consider the hybrid...

Israel Targets Damascus Amid Syrian Forces, Druze Tensions

DAMASCUS, Syria — Tensions escalated as Israeli aircraft targeted areas close to the defense...

World Cup Wildfire Smoke Plans Still Unclear

TORONTO — The anticipation for the 2026 World Cup, set to be held in...
USLive
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.