Four years before they won $5.7 million in the Maryland Lotto in 1995, Harold and Shurl Bussard of Hagerstown had hit rock bottom.
A former plumber, Harold Bussard, now 62, was disabled with a heart problem and unable to work.
The couple lived on government assistance and the minimum wage Shurl Bussard made working at her sister's pet supply business, Cosmic Pet.
The couple had filed for bankruptcy, and Shurl Bussard needed a hernia operation they could not afford.
With no insurance, she had been making advance payments to the doctor in order to have the surgery, she said.
Despite the tough times, Shurl Bussard said she never lost her faith and felt rewarded when she won the $5.7 million.
"It was a blessing," she said.
Shurl Bussard is a Hagerstown native, and Harold Bussard grew up in Keedysville before moving to Michigan. They have two grown children.
