Dukinfield Millionaire Street

An NHS support worker has won more than £405,000 six years after the death of her twins – and now wants to give back in their memory.

Rachel was left "in pieces" after suffering the tragic loss of her beloved baby boys, her stepdad's double leg amputation and a car robbery in years of relentless heartbreak.

Now she has vowed to help other poorly children by pursuing her bid to become a paediatric nurse.

Rachel and husband John broke down in tears after she scooped the lion's share of our £1 Million Millionaire Street prize.

An emotional Rachel said, "This just doesn't happen to us. We're used to picking up the phone to bad news." And speaking of her lost babies, she added, "I want to keep their memories alive by helping poorly children."

Rachel landed almost half of our Millionaire Street prize when her postcode - SK16 4EL - in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, was today announced as the winner. She was the only player in the full postcode.

She and hubby John said it was "surreal" to win the astounding sum, especially after everything they've been through.

The devastated couple lost their twin sons - who they named Reggie and Ronnie - during childbirth in 2018. Rachel's life was also in danger after she contracted sepsis.

She said, "They sacrificed themselves for me. It's heartbreaking that it happened, but in a way, I'm here to keep them alive.

"We got told that if I hadn't given birth when I did, I would have had 24 hours to live and would have died as well."

Rachel faced the "toughest decision of her life" to terminate one of the twins when doctors discovered the baby had severe medical conditions and was unlikely to survive.

And their worst nightmares were realised when their second child was born prematurely and died two hours later.

John said, "We were told there was a 3% chance of failure, saving his twin brother, following the termination. We knew the risks and we were terribly unfortunate."

Shining On

Now Rachel, who works as an NHS Children's Complex Needs Support Worker in Tameside and Glossop, said the winnings will allow her to pursue a job as a paediatric nurse.

She said, "I worked in a nursery for 13 years as an assistant manager and I'd had enough. I wanted to give back and do something with my career after everything I've been through.

"When I got the job with the NHS, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I want to be a paediatric nurse and I want to look after poorly children.

"I can now do a Masters nursing degree and make it happen."

John, who works for a fire alarm company, added, "It has a lot to do with losing our twin boys and she's always wanted to give something back. To work with kids like that and families like that.

"It's taken a bit of time because it was still so close and tender. But just to see the change in Rachel since she's worked there and been doing that. She's a lot happier and now she can go and fulfil that properly."

Rachel says she's now in a position to buy a Life for a Life tree for her beloved twins.

She said, "We want to get a tree-for-life planted at Dove Stone Reservoir (a memorial forest near Oldham). We've always wanted to do it but they're expensive."

The couple, who have been together for seven years, got married during lockdown but had to cancel their honeymoon due to the pandemic - and then had their car stolen.

She said, "Since we've been together, we've not had good luck from the start. To add to everything else, John's car was stolen from outside our house when we were both at home."

To further add to their woes, Rachel's stepdad Mike had both his legs amputated after medical complications which has left him needing 24-hour care.

Rachel said, "It's been an awful time. He can't have prosthetic legs because of his age and his weight loss. He was 17 stone when he went into hospital and now he's under 10 stone.

"It's been horrible for Mike, and it's been really hard for the whole family."

Caring Rachel said she'll try to alleviate some of the family stress with her new-found wealth.

She said, "My mum and stepdad share their house with my brother, his wife and two kids, so it's a busy house and it's very difficult with the round-the-clock care that Mike now needs.

"I could help my brother with a deposit on a house and I'll buy a mobility car for Mike."

Rachel also won the bumper sum just a day before she celebrates her 34th birthday.

She said, "It's a huge early birthday present."

John jokingly added, "I've already bought your birthday present though, just to set expectations."

Future Plans

Rachel and John are now looking at buying a new house and taking a long-awaited honeymoon.

John said, "The biggest thing for us will be a new house. We want to do things to this house to get it on the market and then move."

Rachel added, "We'd love to finally go on a honeymoon abroad. We've never been on a holiday abroad, just me and him, so that will be special."

The stunning windfall has also given Rachel an extra incentive to buy a new set of wheels.

She said, "I might upgrade my car, it's not got enough mod cons for me. I do love my Kia but I might treat myself and do some shopping."

John added, "I hate to think how many Google tabs she's going to have open on her phone."

Rachel had intended to start saving for a holiday for her hubby's milestone 40th birthday in 2026 but no longer needs to.

She said, "I want to take John to New York for his 40th birthday, I won't need to save now."

Postcode Sector Winners

As Rachel won the maximum ticket prize and was the only player in the winning postcode, the remaining prize money - totalling over £594,000 - was shared between players in the postcode sector - SK16 4.

Over 1,280 players won cash sums ranging from £419 to £1,257, depending on how many tickets they played with.

Rachel said, "I am surprised that I'm the only one playing in my postcode, but I'm really happy that so many people in Tameside have won something."

Helping Hand

Rachel told us how she originally signed up for People's Postcode Lottery because she wanted to support a range of charities.

And because her postcode has won, a vital local organisation has benefited.

Home-Start HOST has been awarded £75,000 by Postcode Community Trust.

The charity supports over 5,000 families with young children across Tameside, Glossop, Oldham, Stockport and Bolton. The main purpose of the charity is to support parents so they can give their children the best start to life.

Sarah Cook, CEO of Home Start-HOST said, "The funding we have been awarded by the Postcode Community Trust has come at a critical time and will enable us to continue to provide the high level of support our volunteers deliver across the many services we offer to families."

Home-Start HOST provides an extensive support programme from perinatal support, breastfeeding, a 'Baby Bank' clothing and essential item donation service through to a dedicated Dad Matters service, which supports dads expecting, adjusting to life with a new baby, or who have experienced baby loss.

"Our growing team of over 150 trained volunteers and dedicated experienced staff provide compassionate, confidential, and non-judgemental support to parents when they need it most."

Sarah added, "The funding is so important to us and will help us provide a foundation of support to families with young children across Greater Manchester."

Other charities in the area receiving funding thanks to Saturday's Millionaire Street prize win include:

• Mummy's Star - £75,000 A charity dedicated to women and birthing people diagnosed with cancer through pregnancy, birth, loss and beyond. They also provide services to partners and families.

• The Together Centre - £25,000 The Together Centre provides support services for local families and communities within a thriving Community Hub. Their ambition is to support and encourage positive outcomes whilst demonstrating inclusive and equal participation.

• The Shed Tameside - £15,000 A workshop for men (and women on Fridays) aged 50 and over with a range of support needs. People can benefit from their practical activities, make friends and have fun.

• Hyde Festival Community Association - £20,000 A charity that provides affordable theatre facilities for local amateur theatre and dance groups that have no space of their own in which to perform, as well as being a community hub for wider use.

• Tameside East Foodbank - £20,000 Working with local voluntary and statutory agencies, Tameside East Foodbank collects donations from the local public, churches and businesses, and distributes them to families and individuals experiencing food poverty.

All funding was awarded by Postcode Community Trust (opens in a new tab).

Good Causes Globally

Today's prize is part of a draw promoted on behalf of Postcode Planet Trust (opens in a new tab). Supported by our players, this trust delivers grant funding to organisations that work to protect and promote our environment and wildlife. Benefiting charities include WWF-UK, Marine Conservation Society and The Wildlife Trusts.

At People's Postcode Lottery, 33% of the ticket price goes directly to Charities, and our wonderful players have raised more than £1.2 Billion for thousands of good causes across Great Britain and beyond.

Do you have your subscription to People's Postcode Lottery? If you aren't playing yet, check out How It Works and the amazing Prizes that can be won. Why not sign up today and join the fun?