Beyond that, Teresa's health insurance for various reasons has been in danger of lapsing.Ĭasino officials announced the winning amount over the public-address system, causing a buzz among the Saturday-night throng. Teresa Jaimes, 22, suffers from lupus and renal failure, and, her grandmother says, is likely to need a kidney transplant. I started thinking about Teresa, my granddaughter, and how I could help her now.' 'Inside, you say, 'Thank you, God.' I felt warm from head to toe. 'It's like you died and were born again,' she says, tears welling. The prize was $330,152.13-the second-largest Quartermania win in Arizona history.įor Rodriguez, an ex-migrant worker who never has had much money, the feeling was beyond electric.
With her husband, Chico, seated next to her, Rodriguez punched the spin button and hoped for the best.Ī security camera captured the moment from above: When the three reels stopped seven seconds later, each read 'Quartermania Wild'-the big jackpot. The 64-year-old Phoenix grandmother was playing the 'Quartermania' slot machine at Harrah's Ak-Chin, a popular casino about 40 minutes southeast of Phoenix. on October 11, Herminia Rodriguez struck it rich.
