A cancer patient who said she has had the worst year of her life has seen her luck dramatically change with a £2.49 million lottery win.

Supermarket worker Nicky Cusack, 43, scooped last Wednesday's Lotto jackpot with a line of lucky dip numbers but says she will still return to work after completing a gruelling course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Ms Cusack, a single mother-of-four from Pinehurst, in Swindon, said she was having the worst year of her life after being diagnosed with breast cancer in April.

She has had two operations to remove the cancer and was told two weeks ago that she was cancer free.

And in January she was savagely bitten by a pack of six dogs when they attacked her randomly in the street as she tried to protect her children from them.

Ms Cusack spoke emotionally to the Press Association about battling cancer and about the moment she realised she was a millionaire. "I go to bed before the lottery comes on so didn't check the numbers until Thursday morning," she said.

Ms Cusack had to cancel her July holiday because of her health but says after she has got through treatment a long-awaited holiday is in store for her and her family.

She will go to hospital on Tuesday to find out when she will start her chemotherapy.

"Since January my luck has been awful, its been a horrible six months but something at last has come good for me," she said.

"I'm happy I have won but I am also sad because I know I have a long way to go, the next few months of chemotherapy will be absolute hell. As a single mum I have worked all the hours I can to make ends meet for my kids because I want them to have a secure, normal upbringing. So it will be really nice to pay off my debts, but I also want to give something back to Macmillan Cancer and the hospital."

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