UK Prize winners Nicola and Peter Allen are enjoying their vacation at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa after filling out the winning voucher in their local newspaper. 

The good luck was a welcome change for the British couple after a tumultuous year.  

In June, Mrs. Allen was diagnosed with skin cancer but the melanoma was removed and she felt relieved. Three months later, she was involved in a catastrophic car accident in which her vehicle flipped twice. She sustained nine life threatening injuries, including a broken back, a broken collarbone and shoulder, a broken sternum, a torn liver, a ruptured diaphragm and a collapsed lung that was full of blood. After being rushed by ambulance to the Norfolk-Norwich Hospital, Mrs. Allen was in surgery for more than ten hours while her husband waited anxiously. “I am an eternal optimist and I had to believe that my resilient wife would pull through this even though 90% of people with a ruptured diaphraghm do not survive,” said Mr. Allen. 

Mrs. Allen managed to survive and she was miraculously able to walk 8 days later despite medical professionals telling her that she should not attempt walking for 6-8 weeks. “I was determined to recover quickly and I could not have done it without my devoted husband who has been by my side throughout this ordeal.

We are relishing the opportunity to relax and explore this beautiful Antiguan paradise and this is a wonderful way for us to celebrate our 25^th wedding anniversary,” commented Mrs. Allen. 

The couple currently resides in Leigh-on-Sea and both of them are nurse practitioners. They return to England on Wednesday.