POOLS JACKPOT WINNER DEATH TRAGEDY (From Warrington Guardian)

POOLS JACKPOT WINNER DEATH TRAGEDY

A WOMAN celebrating a £.5 million pools win suffered brain damage and died before she could collect her jackpot.

Susan Nairn collapsed at home just hours before she was due to collect a cheque for £561,020 from Littlewoods.

Mrs Nairn had religiously filled in her coupon every week for years but suffered fatal brain damage and died in a hospital bed, aged 46.

She lived alone in Ditchfield Place, Ditton, and it is not known who will inherit the fortune since she was divorced and had no children.

Family and friends attended her funeral on Monday at St Mary's Parish Church, Hale, followed by cremation.

One neighbour said: "Susan was a firm regular at the bingo and quite often had good luck, winning several small cash prizes.

"One of her relatives, Joyce White, brought her up as though she was her own.

"Mrs White is particularly distressed because Susan had had a tough time and was just getting her life together when she died.

"Obviously, the win was the best thing in the world after all the heartache of her divorce.

"She was over the moon when she realised she had won the big one but she died before she could collect the cheque.

"Life can be very cruel.

"Apparently, she had been complaining of headaches a few days before she died. But we had never heard of any history of brain illness."

Elderly Mrs White, who lives in the same street as Susan, was too upset to discuss the tragedy.

After she collapsed at home, Mrs Nairn as taken to Whiston Hospital.

Doctors diagnosed a brain haemorrhage and she was transferred to the neuro-surgery unit at Walton Hospital, Liverpool, where she died several days later.

At the Gala bingo hall in Widnes, staff and customers were stunned by the tragedy.

One member of staff said: "Susan was very popular and had lots of friends. We will miss her terribly."

A Littlewoods Pools spokesman said: "We can confirm that a woman from Cheshire won £561,020.15 and requested no publicity.

"It would be inappropriate for us to comment when a client has expressed a wish to remain anonymous.

"Under the circumstances, we can only offer our sympathies to the family."

He said that at the time a pools player is informed of a major win they are always asked whether they have a will and offered advice from an independent financial advisor.

"All winners are paid out within the week of the competition in which they have won.

"Therefore all monies immediately become part of the winner's estate.

"In the event of a death before a prize is collected the winnings would go to the estate of the deceased

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