BOISE, Idaho — After buying tickets for 11 years to win the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway, Louis Flores and his wife Nicole won the home in 2024.
Louis said this was a dream come true, and it still hasn’t fully sunk in for him.
“I've dreamt about it quite a bit, actually, to be honest,” Flores said.
For Louis, St. Jude has a deeper meaning than just getting his dream house. His cousin, Claire, was diagnosed with brain cancer and started going to St. Jude for care. Claire is now 14 years old.
Louis said he didn’t even realize they were related until he saw Claire’s picture hanging in the corner of the dream home.
“I was telling family members that we won the house and they said, you know, that girl on the poster is your cousin,” Louis said.
After finding out about his cousin, Louis said he started watching Claire’s testimonials, and St. Jude’s mission – to provide free care to every patient -- started to mean even more to him.
“They allow family members not to have to deal with that part of cancer and focusing on the treatment and the hope of getting better,” Louis said. “So seeing that with my family member, that was incredible.”
Even though Louis has already won the house, he said he will still support and donate to St. Jude in whatever way he can.
“Hopefully I can still buy tickets – can I still buy tickets?” Louis said with a smile on his face.
The couple said they haven’t decided if they will move into the house yet, but if they do, he is already excited about a few of the features.
“I didn't know that the steam shower was a thing. That really got to me. I can't wait to sit in it,” Louis said.
The couple is still processing that his dream came true.
“We're super blessed to have this opportunity,” Flores said. “We're thankful beyond words.”
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