A patient recovering from surgery no doubt feels much better after winning $ 7 million after his father tucked a lottery ticket into his get-well card . Joseph Amorese , of Easton , Pennsylvania received the ticket from his father , who lives in the hamlet of Congers in Rockland County , New York as he recovered from hernia surgery . A few scratches later on the ' $ 7 million Golden Ticket ' and he was feeling great . ' I scratched the ticket and it was a good thing I was already sitting down because I was shocked . I was - and still am - in complete disbelief , ' Amorese said at a check presentation on Wednesday . Joy : Joseph Amorese , center , and his wife Jodi , right , were presented with a ceremonial check by the New York Lottery on Wednesday after Amorese won $ 7 million on a scratch card - a gift from his father . Shock : Amorese , who was recovering from surgery when he scratched off the card , said he wanted to jump up and down with excitement but could n't . 'In my mind I was jumping up and down , ' he said . ' I had surgery so I did n't jump up and down , but in my mind I was jumping up and down . ' He sent a photo of the ticket to his father , whom he called ' a retired hospital administrator-turned-avid Lottery player ' , who agreed that it was a winner . The 46-year-old senior project manager for Verizon then called his wife Jodi , a social worker . When he said , 'Honey , I think we won $ 7 million , ' he was met by a long , stunned silence , he said . 'She was too stunned to talk , ' he said . His 'avid Lottery player ' father bought the ticket for him from Just A Dollar in New City , New York . Lottery officials presented Amorese with a ceremonial check at the Just A Dollar store store in New City , New York , where the ticket was purchased . A CBS reporter asked if it healed the hernia any faster and Amorese laughed and responded : 'All the pain I felt , I did not feel for at least a couple of days . ' The couple collected a lump sum of $ 4.5 million and said they plan to keep their jobs . The chances of hitting the jackpot are just one in 3,708,000 .
Joseph Amorese , from Pennsylvania , was recovering from a New York operation when his father , from hernia , sent him a winning scratch card . Amorese , who works for Verizon , and his social worker wife collected a $ 4.5 million lump sum and said they plan to continue working .