Published on: October 6, 2025, 05:09h.
Updated on: October 6, 2025, 05:11h.
- Lottery winner issues warning after hospitalization post-celebration.
- £1 million jackpot triggers extravagant lifestyle and health crisis.
- Adam Lopez discovers wealth can’t save you during a medical emergency.
A British individual, who scored a £1 million ($1.3 million) lottery win three months prior, found himself in a hospital bed due to three months of unrelenting partying. He is now cautioning fellow lottery winners about the potential perils of such a lifestyle.
Adam Lopez, aged 39 from Norfolk, England, was admitted to his local hospital on September 10 due to a bilateral pulmonary embolism, whereby a blood clot from his leg was transported to his lungs.
Lopez labeled this as a “significant wake-up call” concerning the reckless bender he had pursued over the recent three months. He realized it was high time to change his lifestyle before it was too late.
“I knew my partying couldn’t last forever and nearly faced a dire consequence,” he shared with the BBC from his hospital bed.
Resigned from Job
When Lopez bought five lottery scratch cards from a local store in Hellesdon in July, he had only £12.40 (US$16.70) left in his bank. The discovery that the fifth ticket was a winner catapulted his balance to £1,000,012.40.
“I couldn’t believe it; I thought I was dreaming,” he expressed to the media back then, but sadly, the shock didn’t end there.
Consequently, he hastily quit his job as a forklift operator. In hindsight, he admits this was a mistake, as it led to a “complete loss of structure” in his everyday life.
During this time, he was “living it up” and spending freely on luxurious gifts for friends and family, including Range Rovers for both himself and his mother.
Record-Setting Achiever
Previously, Lopez had set a world record in 2023 for completing a mile while submerged in a swimming pool, raising funds for a girl with spinal muscular atrophy.
After his lottery victory, he made it public, aiming to maintain his fundraising momentum and focus on the “larger picture.”
However, he now recognizes that the only record he may have established was one for excessive partying.
“I realize I went the wrong route… it was fun until it threatened my health,” he mused.
“I couldn’t walk, I struggled to breathe. I called for an ambulance and was taken from my home in a stretcher, resulting in significant revelations while lying in that ambulance and listening to the sirens,” he recounted.
True Wealth is Health
Lopez, who also battles diabetes, spent over eight days at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, which allowed him to reflect on his close call.
“It really changes your perspective on life. Whether you have a million or a hundred million, it all means nothing when you’re in an ambulance,” he cautioned.