In a strange twist of fate, Kathleen Mustard's thyroid cancer has made her rich.

The cancer survivor, who beat the disease 28 years ago, won $1 million yesterday in the Princess Margaret Hospital Cars and Cash Lottery for Cancer Research.

The Wainfleet, Ont. resident, who retired last year as a housekeeper, was treated at Princess Margaret.

"I buy a ticket every year just to support the hospital because I'm a survivor. I only buy one ticket a year, and it's really a donation. I never thought I'd win. I still can't believe it," Mustard, 66, said yesterday shortly before picking up her cheque at the hospital's prize presentation for the lottery's 10 big winners.

"I was just thankful for my life. I never thought 28 years later I'd be winning a million dollars here," she added.

The lottery, one of three the hospital foundation hosts annually for the hospitals' cancer research, is in its 11th year. To date, they've raised more than $160 million, said Christine Lasky, vice-president of the hospital's foundation.

"A new drug often takes 12 years and $200 million at least to fund that development work from discovery through to the various clinical stages to patients. Research is a costly venture," Lasky said. "This hospital is absolutely dependent on the lottery monies to help fund the research."

Mustard intends to invest her winnings, eventually.

"I have to come back down to earth first," she said, adding she and husband William are planning a trip to Florida this winter.

"At first, she asked me if I was sitting down, and I thought she had bad news," William said. "But she changed my mind real quick."

The couple has three daughters, one of whom was born 38 years ago on Dec. 13.

"That's two great things that happened to me on Dec. 13. I had a baby girl 38 years ago and a million dollars this year," she said.

This year's big winners were: Delia Emeid and Joseph Guss who both won $1 million; Gisele Lindsay (Ferrari F430); Jose Domingos de Souza ($300,000); James Mahony ($250,000); Zoran Andreevski (Maserati Quattroporte); Gerald Humell (Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe); Paul Thompson who won either a convertible Corvette or a Mercedes CLK550 cabriolet; and William Gibson ($100,000).