9/11 Firefighter Wins $5 Million Dollar Prize On Scratch Off Ticket

Look At God: 9/11 Firefighter Wins $5 Million On A Scratch Off Ticket!

This is such a heartwarming story!

via Us Weekly:

Carmelo Mercado, who responded to the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, hit the jackpot recently, winning $5 million on a scratch-off lottery ticket.

Mercado received his check on Thursday, July 2, a little more than 10 years after he was forced to retire from the FDNY because of ongoing health problems. According to CNN, he suffered lung damage as a result of the time he spent at Ground Zero after 9/11.

Now a stay-at-home dad to four kids, Mercado plans to use his winnings — $3,309,000 after taxes — to spoil his loved ones.

“I will certainly help out my family, and this year’s Christmas presents will be a little bigger than last year’s,” he told CNN at a press conference on Thursday. “But I’m really excited to buy a summer house at Disney. We go as a family every year and it will be nice not to have to rent anymore.”

Also on the list? Some new friends for his 10-year-old. “My daughter asked me, ‘Does that mean I can get one American Girl doll?'” he shared. “So I told her, ‘How about 10? We’ll get 10.'”

Congratulations to the 9/11 hero. Who knew you could win that much on a scratch-off?