Last week, Americans everywhere rushed out to buy Mega Millions lottery tickets in the hopes of winning the $1.5 billion prize. Earl Livingston, 87, is one person who was eager to buy a ticket, but doing so had some unexpectedly serious consequences for him.

Earl headed out to walk to a store in Blackwood, New Jersey to buy lotto tickets last week. Sadly, on his way there, he fell and broke his hip.

Earl was rushed to Jefferson Stratford Hospital, and as he recovered, he told nurses there about how saddened he was to not get to buy a ticket. Hoping to cheer him up, a nurse asked Earl if he would be interested in joining their employee lottery pool, which included 141 other workers. He immediately said yes!

“He told them he was on his way to buy a lottery ticket and he was disappointed that he didn’t get it,” said Earl’s niece. “So they said, ‘Why don’t you go in with us? We’re also buying a lottery ticket.'”

Staffers at the hospital later decided that Earl was their good luck charm, because their pool ended up winning a $1 million jackpot! Earl was ecstatic when nurses told him how much they had won!

“I didn’t believe him when I got here,” said one of Earl’s nieces. “I thought he was confused, maybe from pain meds. And then the staff came into the room and they were saying congratulations. And I was like, ‘Wow, he really did win.’”

Earl is going to need a hip replacement to help heal his injuries, but his luck has completely lifted his spirits.

“I want to thank everybody,” Earl told reporters. “I appreciate very much and God bless you and have a happy, happy long life!”

Find out more about his win in the video below!