Teen cancer survivor wins Maryland lottery

UNDATED (NBC) -- A 19-year-old cancer survivor from Maryland matched five numbers to win a $250,000 prize from Mega Millions and says he plans to pay it forward.

Nicholas Ruth seems like an average teenager, hoping to become a police officer. But he’s a cancer survivor and as of Monday, $250,000 richer.

Ruth bought a lottery ticket that made him a second tier winner in the Maryland Lottery’s Mega Millions game.

“I looked over the ticket multiple times before it even clicked that all of the numbers matched except for one I was so speechless and my mom was wondering what was going on because I just kept trying to speak and I couldn’t, so I ran over and gave her the ticket…and I was jumping up and down and told her I won the lottery,” said Ruth.

After taxes, Ruth will get just over $165,000. He says he plans to use some of the money to pay off his car, save some to buy a house and he also plans to donate it. He says he wants to give back to the foundations and people that helped him when he was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2005.

“As a cancer survivor I can't really pay back what people have done for me in my past. They've helped me out a lot and I would like to at least give back to the community that gave to me… show my gratitude and hopefully help someone else the way someone helped me," he said.

On his list are the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Believe in Tomorrow, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation which sent him on a cruise.

“People keep saying I deserve it and what I went through, but there’s people far off worse than what I went through that can use the money more than me and I’m just glad I can help them out,” Ruth says.