A man suffering from mesothelioma cancer is making headlines around the world after betting on his chances for survival and winning big. In fact, he did so well the first time that he decided to bet again, and won again. Jon Matthews is 59 years old, and was diagnosed with mesothelioma back in 2006. At the time, his doctors informed him that he only had months left to live.

Matthews, a resident of the United Kingdom, decided to place a small bet with betting agency William Hill. Matthews bet that he would live to see June 2008 and June 2009. Each bet was made for £100 (about $160) with 50-to-1 odds. Matthews thought the bet would be a bit of fun that would also give him an extra incentive to fight off his mesothelioma cancer. “I think I’m the first person in the world to bet on my own life,” Matthews said.

Last June, Matthews collected his first set of winnings — £5,000 (about $8,000.) Yesterday, Matthews collected his winnings for this year, which will be the same amount. Matthews has also placed another bet on his own life. His newest bet with William Hill is that he will last another full year, and live to see June of 2010. This time, the odds are higher at 100-to-1.

The story has people all over the world rooting for Matthews, and even agents at William Hill are happy to be paying out to Mr. Matthews. “Never in 30 years in the business have I been so pleased to pay a winning client £10,000,” said William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe. “With, I trust, a further £10,000 to come next year.” Matthews told members of the press that he plans to donate a portion of his gambling winnings to charity. One charity he plans to donate to is Macmillan Cancer Support.

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