Terrible cell service in Nunavut delays good news from northern Ont.

It took more than eight phone calls, an email and social media to get the job done but the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation (TADHF) was finally able to announce the winner of their June 50-50 draw worth more than $100,000.

An undated photo of the winner of the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation's June 50-50 draw, Mohammed El Boury (right,) and his girlfriend Patsy sent to the foundation by social media. (Timmins and District Hospital Foundation/Facebook)

Mohammed El Boury of South Porcupine was working in Nunavut when the June 50-50 draw took place and had terrible cell service, TADHF explained in a social media post on Thursday.

• Want more Timmins news? Check out its local news page

Foundation staff had tried calling El Boury eight times by July 2.

“We eventually left him a message to call us back because we had some good news – he never did,” reads an earlier social media post.

“He eventually saw the email that we send out to all players with the winning ticket numbers and checked his $40 purchase. The numbers in fact matched.”

El Boury said he double-checked those numbers quite a few times to make sure.

• Download the CTV News app now

El Boury told the foundation he was then very loud at work resulting in in his colleagues becoming part of the celebration.

He then called his girlfriend Patsy – who thought he was playing a joke on her.

El Boury then sent an excited message (shown below) via social media just before 7 p.m., that was littered with ‘OMGs,’ ‘wows’ and exclamation points.

A screenshot of social media messages exchanged between Mohammed El Boury and the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation's social media page after El Boury learned he won the June 50-50 draw. (Timmins and District Hospital Foundation/Facebook)

“We were just planning our wedding and we were stressing about how to afford it,” he also said in the message.

“This is amazing!”

He told TADHF in addition to paying for his upcoming wedding to Patsy he plans to use some of the funding to pay off his OSAP.

El Boury is a paramedic by trade and said he understands the healthcare system and that hospital foundations fund much-needed medical equipment with these draws.

El Boury said he canceled the week he booked for overtime two days after getting it so that he could come home and receive his cheque for $114,045, which he picked up with Patsy on Thursday.

The winner of the June 50-50 draw for the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation, Mohammed El Boury (right,) and his girlfriend Patsy picking up the $114,045 cheque on July 11, 2024. (Timmins and District Hospital Foundation/Facebook)

“The foundation team was out in full force to congratulate this great couple,” wrote officials on Thursday.

“(The) end of a great story.”

The July TADHF 50-50 draw is live at www.timminsdistrict5050.ca and the jackpot is already more than $100,000. Click here for more information.

Tickets for the July draw are available to purchase right now, with sales ending at 11:59 p.m. on July 25. The jackpot-winning ticket will be drawn on July 26 at 11 a.m.

• Get local breaking news alerts
• Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox

"If we can win, anyone can," said El Boury.

“(And) when you win, so does your hospital,” added the foundation.

For more information on the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 draws and the work they do, visit their social media page.