Jon Matthews, 58, was stunned when he found out he had Mesothelioma (a cancer linked to asbestos) in April of 2006, but wasn’t discouraged by the devastating prognosis. The longest anyone had ever survived after being diagnosed was 25 months, and doctors told him he probably wouldn’t even survive until last Christmas. With nothing to lose, Jon Matthews decided to bet that he would live past 25 months, asking William Hill (a bookmaker) to set up a bet. They gave him 50/1 odds. Well as of the first of June he has survived for 25 months and a week, so his 100 pound (around $200) bet turned into a 5,000 ($10,000) pound payday! We’re sure the extra incentive helped him battle his cancer, and at least half the money will be going to a cancer charity. Bravo! However, Matthews has already admitted that he’ll probably spend the rest on alcohol and cigarettes, but we suppose he really doesn’t have much to lose now!

[The Sun]

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