Winner of Dh10 million Mahzooz prize will pay for son's cerebral palsy treatment

Filipino oil and gas worker's 18-year-old has had the condition since childhood

Filipino Paterio, who won the Mahzooz Dh10 million grand prize, is pictured at the Mahzooz headquarters in Dubai. Ruel Pableo/The National

An oil and gas worker who won Dh10 million ($2.7m) in the Mahzooz draw said the money will pay for his son’s cerebral palsy treatment.

Paterio, who chose not to disclose his last name, has been working in Fujairah for three years to support his wife and two children in the Philippines. He has not seen them since the coronavirus pandemic started.

The 54-year-old is the latest winner of the weekly Mahzooz draw.

We do have plans to buy a bigger house in the Philippines

Paterio,
Mahzooz draw winner

“The money couldn’t have come at a better time," Paterio told The National.

"My son suffers from cerebral palsy and he needs an operation that could really help him. With this money, we can try to improve his life. It’s life-changing for us."

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that affects movement and muscle tone or posture. It causes impaired movement and can also cause problems swallowing and eye muscle imbalance.

There is no cure, but it can be treated and managed.

Estimations place the cost of lifetime treatment for the condition at around $1 million.

Paterio’s 18-year-old son has suffered from cerebral palsy since childhood, requiring feeding tubes through the mouth and nose.

The money would pay for surgery that could make gastrostomy tubes – feeding his son directly through the stomach – possible, he said.

Paterio plans to use the funds to pay for his son's cerebral palsy treatment and buy a house in the Philippines. Ruel Pableo / The National

“When I got the call about the prize, I thought they were just joking. I couldn’t believe it and it’s still surprising to me,” he said.

“We have a lot of plans and we’re still deciding when and how we are going to use the money.

“We do have plans to buy a bigger house in the Philippines. We’ve thought about buying a house here in Dubai.

“My wife and I have spoken about her and the children moving here, but we’re still discussing that.”

Mahzooz, previously known as Emirates Loto, is one of a number of jackpot draws in the UAE.

Participants in the Mahzooz draw have to register online and buy a Dh35 bottle of water to enter. The bottles are collected by the organisation and donated to charity.

Many lives in the UAE have been changed from draws.

Last month, a Bangladeshi crane operator in Dubai who did not have a bank account won Dh1m from a Mahzooz draw.

Abdul Kadeer was earning Dh2,400 each month, most of which he sent back home to his family.

How Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket has changed lives - in pictures

UAE residents who struck lucky with Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket draw attended a gala dinner. Organisers of the draw celebrated the winners' good luck at the Alexandra Dhow Cruise in Dubai Marina. All photos by Leslie Pableo / The National

Richard Isaac and Bouchra Yamani, the two presenters who pick out the raffle tickets and call the winners, interacted with the winners. Some of attendees had won jackpots of between Dh1 million to Dh15 million, while others won Dh90,000

'The National' spoke to winners about how they have spent their grand prize. Shivamurthy Gali Krishnappa won Dh12 million last month. He said he wants to save for his children's future. For now, he is still working as a mechanical engineer for a stainless steel production company

Shahed Ahmed Moulvifaiz, a Bangladeshi car garage owner in Al Ain, won Dh10 million less than a week ago. He wants to bring his family to the UAE, expand his business and spend on his youngest son's education

Jayaprakash Mariyan Philip had won the Dh1 million prize with nine other people. The funds were split equally, leaving him with Dh100,000. He said he has paid off part of his bank loans

Zaheenn Kausar was visiting her husband in Abu Dhabi from Pakistan, when he bought a ticket under her name. She proved lucky for her family after winning Dh90,000. She wants to pay for her daughter's university tuition and buy a car for herself

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 5,000 people would gather during a live event in Abu Dhabi to watch the draw take place. Since 2020, the draw streams live on social media channels, bringing in even larger crowds

Many people buy multiple tickets together and then split the prize equally. There are also those who win after buying a ticket alone, allowing them to keep the entire jackpot

The Abu Dhabi Big Draw has been changing lives since 1992

The ticket for the grand prize costs Dh500