Massive £1m National Lottery jackpot changed our lives – it meant we could buy our disabled daughter a support dog
A COUPLE who won a massive £1m National Lottery jackpot revealed how the jackpot changed their lives - meaning they could buy their disabled daughter a support dog.
Adam and Amy Pryor's five-year-old daughter Charlotte was born prematurely, with the little girl living with limited hearing, sight and mobility.
But the little girl has been brought to life by her specially trained golden Labrador Merlin - that the family could only afford thanks to the jaw-dropping win.
Merlin who has been trained by Supporting Paws to meet Charlotte’s special needs has "brought a bit of magic" in the family's lives since he joined the Pryor home.
Amy, 32, said: “Merlin is a dream come true. We always wanted a family dog, so when we were told about Supporting 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.
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"He is learning to walk while attached to Charlotte’s wheelchair, which in turn is encouraging Charlotte to go out for walks and I see her looking around for him.
"He is also being Community Access trained, which will mean that he can go everywhere with Charlotte, including hospital appointments.
"He has a lovely temperament which has a calming influence and he already feels like one of the family.”
The pair from Maidstone in Kent won £1M on EuroMillions back in August 2017, eight months after Charlotte was born.
The little girl was born seven weeks early with life-limiting conditions including a chromosome 11 abnormality, which affected her hearing, sight and mobility.
And her parents say their winning could not have come at a better time as they could afford a specially trained pet for their daughter.
Adam, 38, said: “Our Lottery win has enabled us to do so much, from buying a bigger home with space for a specialist sensory room to Amy giving up work to take care of Charlotte.
"But Merlin is by far our favourite purchase. The last 20 months have been extremely challenging, having to shield to protect Charlotte from contracting COVID, but Merlin has brought a bit of magic to our lives and long may he continue to do so.”
