The £1m National Lottery Jackpot that changed our lives

A COUPLE who won the £1m National Lottery jackpot has revealed how the jackpot changed their lives – meaning they were able to buy their disabled daughter a child assistance dog.

Adam and Amy Pryor’s 5-year-old daughter Charlotte was born prematurely, with limited hearing, vision and mobility.

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But the little girl was brought to life by her specially trained golden Labrador Merlin – which the family could only afford thanks to a stunning victory.

Merlin, who was trained by Paws to meet Charlotte’s special needs, has “brought a little magic” into the family’s lives since he joined the Pryor family.

Amy, 32, said: “Merlin is a dream come true. We’ve always wanted a family dog, so when we were told about Support Paws, I knew we had to get in touch and haven’t looked back since.

“Merlin is still in training but we can already see the positive impact he is having on Charlotte.

“He was learning to walk while attached to Charlotte’s wheelchair, which encouraged Charlotte to go for a walk and I saw her looking for him around.”

“He’s also training in Outreach, which means he can go everywhere with Charlotte, including hospital appointments.

“He had a lovely personality that had a calming influence and he felt like part of the family.”

The couple from Maidstone in Kent won £1 million on EuroMillions in August 2017, eight months after Charlotte was born.

The baby girl was born seven weeks early with life-limiting conditions including a chromosome 11 defect, which affects her hearing, vision and mobility.

And her parents say their victory couldn’t have come at a better time because they were able to buy a specially trained pet for their daughter.

Adam, 38, said: “Our Lottery win has enabled us to do so many things, from buying a larger home with dedicated sensory room space to Amy quitting her job. to take care of Charlotte.

“But Merlin is by far our favorite. The past 20 months have been extremely challenging, having to shield Charlotte from contracting COVID, but Merlin has brought a bit of magic to her life. us and expect him to continue to do so.”

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