RENEWED hope and optimism glowed brightly on the face of 43-year-old J Williams’ face, the eighth $1-million winner in the Digicel ‘Golden SIM’ promotion.

The father of two was overwhelmed with emotion when he visited Digicel’s headquarters recently.

Williams, a former sales representative, was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure in 2020 which rendered him unable to work. His million-dollar win comes at the right time, giving him the opportunity to pay for his life-saving dialysis treatments. For him, the cash comes at a time he least expected but most needed it.

“I had just come from dialysis when my son woke me up. I didn’t believe it at first but I went on the Digicel page and told my son to call out the numbers. When I saw the last number I said ‘Yes!’ I was excited,” Williams shared.

Shortly after the ceremonial handover brand marketing manager for Digicel, Carla Hollingsworth said: “Mr Williams is a fighter. Customers like him inspire us to keep on going and to continue giving back because of the life-changing impact it can have on their lives. At the same time, our Golden SIM promotion allows us to celebrate our customers and express our gratitude for allowing us to serve them.”

For Williams, the good fortune from Digicel could not have come at a better time. His friends and family have been his main support system, however, he lost one of his biggest supporters when his sister, Denisha Williams, died in a motor vehicle crash last year.

“Today [August 18 is a bittersweet day,” said Williams. “It marks one year since my sister died. She was one of four people killed in a truck crash. She was one of the first to offer one of her kidneys so I could keep on living.” With his sister gone, Williams is also making a public appeal for a kidney.

Williams, who has been a Digicel customer since 2001, is no stranger to defying the odds. In 2020 he went into a coma following a seizure and doctors gave him a mere 10 per cent chance of survival. Now, with his family’s support, he maintains a positive outlook, “God is on my side. I’m here, I’m still alive.”

The Digicel Golden SIM promotion runs until November 6, 2022. Each week 21 Digicel prepaid or postpaid customers will win $1 million if the serial number on their SIM card matches the weekly Golden SIM number. The winning number is posted every Tuesday on Digicel’s social media pages, balance enquiry messages, their MyDigicel app, and in newspapers.