tonight on "nightline," mega millions madness. a ticket buying frenzy and a half billion dollar jackpot. tonight, we do the math. are there ways to beat the odds are is it luck? and forever fido. if you ever wisheded a beloved pet could be with you always, meet the american stuffers, heart warming or horrified? you decide. plus, lonely island. it's just 90 miles from florida and they don't have the internet. as the pope meets with castro,

christiane amanpour slips out to find the real havana. good evening. i'm cynthia mcfadden. we begin with the lottery that seems to have everybody talking. the single biggest jackpot ever. and just about 48 hours from now, someone, somewhere, could be a half billion dollars richer. millions of people in 42 states have purchased what they hope to be winning tickets. we fake a hard look tonight at winners and losers. >> be the lucky one. >> reporter: they are buying in los angeles, on manhattan island, in philly, cleveland, in tulsa, oklahoma. some on a whim and some with a plan. all with the hope and the dream,

and maybe deep down the need to win. >> $10. >> reporter: and whoever does win, it will be in a way that's never happened before. last night, when the balls popped out for the midweek drawing and known had the numbers for the jackpot, it changed the game sizewise. not only was the jackpot still out there, but it grew, hugely. it grew from this to this. wow that is a record. and the next draug day is friday, just about 48 hours from now. >> the winning ticket. >> that is why they are lining up ever where to play a game that is so stacked against any one individual that it's a joke, literally. and cracked.com saying your odds of winning are worse than being tom cruise, 150 million to run one. or picking a name out after hat

with every russian on earth and having it come up with vladimir puttin. >> there is almost 4 million possibilities with the white balls and the mega ball, there are millions of possibilities. it's almost 176 million possible. >> reporter: and yet, it does happen. often enough, that tlc has a show about winners, called "lottery changed my life." and this grandmother who went sky diving. >> i always wanted to do that. >> reporter: joe from fredericksburg, virginia, won $48 million and bought a nascar team. >> i are not longer outside. i'm in the box looking at my team. >> reporter: and this man from

okeechobee, florida, he bought a bait and tackle shop and gave away most of the money. this is dream come true stuff, obviously. but when the tickets are flying, it might have more to do with believing that the american dream may be in reach with the frightening time. >> it's a way to give a control. >> reporter: steven goldberg advices people who have come into wealth. >> at least there is a fantastic imagine thak will restorely faith. >> reporter: magic n the great fairy tale willy wonka and the chocolate factory. and the golden tickets, most 067 the kids that won were greedy and selfish. people who win real lotteries. >> coming into a life alters amount of money will change your identity mfts it's a matter of

how you manage that time. >> reporter: some people are big spendthrifts. and then -- >> buy a couple homes, cars, quit their job. it all looks good. after a short period of time and not dealing with the tax consequences. not taking the long view, what it meens, after a few year, they end up with very little left. >> reporter: but there are others that figure it out. >> i was holding my breath, like, okay, something's got to gift. >> reporter: cynthia stafford was taking care of five kids and was in tough financial circumstances when she won $112 million. she is living well but not insanely well. making investments here and there and movies too. >> i have a few films.

>> referee: ar one thing she doesn't have is a fight on her hands. like the woman on her left who won a million dollar. and this guy, blue shirt, won $260,000 with the ticket she gave him, which she did in error. if the store clerk was the judge -- >> sometimes i give you a ticket that is your ticket, not my ticket, no more. >> reporter: sometimes, people in lottery pools end up arguing. america lopez had to share his win with his co-workers because they argued the ticket he won with one for the whole group and there is a tough mental road. >> maybe people experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, uncertainty. since this money changed who

they are as a person and what they do in their lives. >> reporter: such bads odds, so many up happy stories and so many people buying tickets this week, there is only one to to think of it. >> buying that ticket is buying a ticket of hope. >> reporter: that is just it. that is not rational at all. ha is magic, and someone in the end does get that golden ticket. >> okay, 11 chances to win. i'm sharing with the "nightline" staff but just the 20 of them here tonight. by the way that is $25 million a piece. good luck, everybody. tune in for a special "20/20" friday 10:00 a.m. up next a truly unusual company. greetings from the windy city of chicago.

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okay, here's the question. have you ever thought about having fluffy of fido stuffed in i'm not kidding. it may not be for everyone. but for thousands of people every year, being able to keep a pet around after death is no laughing matter at all as ryan owens discovered in romance, arkansas. >> well, here she rests. >> that is britney. >> reporter: well, that was britney. the yorkie died last year with you mary kaufman sleeps next to her dog every night.

>> i pet her. she always slept in my bedroom. >> reporter: for this arkansas woman, pictures of her companion was not enough so she had britney stuffed and freeze died. the man who prezefshed britney is daniel roth, owner of extreme tax determineny. and it's out of a shed in his yard in romance, arkansas. >> it's not just a pet anymore. it's your family. and always the customers, the peace and joy it brings in their tlif have a cat or dog back, it's worth it. >> he has freeze driers packed with dogs across the current. it costs about $500 to $8700 to have the dog stuffed can cotton and died.

>> the armed are crossed on that one. >> nearly every day, the u.p.s. man brings a package. this day, it's a championship roost intera letter from the high school student who owns it. >> mr. man, the rooster's name. >> she wants daniel to freeze dry the bird and tie the ribbon aren't its neck. >> i will be back tomorrow with another one. >> reporter: stuffing a bird is not the most unusual request. there is a hairless rat and this spider monkey. >> it was a mat, they had it for 25 years. they are actually pretty cool petters. >> the story is almost impossible to believe. a texas woman is paying a few hundred dollars to have the monkey posed with a can of her

dead husband's beer glued to the hand. and the ashes will be poured in the can. >> the requests a odd, unique. >> reporter: odd, unique. enough to be a reality show. >> i stuff puts. >> reporter: on what else? animal planet. >> ah. >> oh! >> reporter: each ep soetd has a pet owner being reunited with his dearly departed. >> he looks like he is taking a nap. it's an odd way to making living. i not thought i would be on tv or anything like that. hello. >> hi. >> reporter: mary kaufman was on tv too. "american stuffers" showed her reunion with britney and the steps she took. >> she is so beautiful, you did so good. thank you, thank you.

>> huh to keep her in your freether, right? >> losing her was very hard. i had to have her put to sleep. i would open the freezer a dozen times a day and open the bag and look at her. >> reporter: a lot of people will say, she is holding on to something that is not arounded and she needs to move on. >> well, that is her opinion. britney represents a4r09 to me. when we lose a family member, we just don't forget about them. but that doesn't mean i have to forget about the past. >> reporter: what happens god forbid when you pass? >> britney will be buried with me in the casket. i know she is not here. but being able to look at her and touch her and pet her makes me feel she is still with me. >> reporter: until then, she will stay in the crib next to her bed. a perfect resting place for a

loyal companion who never left her side in life or death. >> you can watch the season finale of "american stuffers" tomorrow night on animal planet. on a different note from a different place, christiane amanpour in cuba on the pope's visit can castro and a havana rarely seen. you bought your edge? were you looking fn um, i was definitely looking for fuel economy. that's the whole reason we, we wanted to look at the ecoboost. can you talk a little bit about the style of the edge? um, well, i think it's very hip. i even have several guys were like "whoa, do have twenties on those". like, don't even know what that means, but i guess it's cool. (laugh)

pope benedict the xvi was in cuba today and met with fidel castro. the imangs of the two flashed around the world. abc news' global affair anchor christiane amanpour is in cuba tonight. and she takes us to a havana where if you americans have seen. where the internet is scarce and so is freedom. >> reporter: havana is a place of fading duty that smams maintains its magnetism and allure. look past the buildings with the crumbling columns and you will find the city's beating heart. ♪ once we got off track, we found rum, rhythm, romance. but cuba is also all about all that you can't see. this is a place with visually no sbrenl, no facebook, none of the

tools of the modern world. we are officially hear for pope benedict's visit, an occasion of pomp and circumstance. but between the meetings, we get out to try to find the real cuba. we drive to a small town. the road in is lined with portraits of revolutionary heroes, a half century past the glory days. we found a catholic church packed for sunday mass. ♪ there, we met ana who sings in the church choir and teaches english in town. since you see it a will the of young people do you get the sense that a lot of young people just want to leave here? >> yeah, i have been feeling that for a long time. >> reporter: ana expressed so eloquently and bravely, the yourning for freedom we heard so often here. >> i think this is now time.

i am 54. and when i look back, what did you do? who what have you done? and seen? >> reporter: do you have internet in. >> no. >> no. >> reporter: we wanted to talk to these students having a snack after class. they seem like college class but you realize what a narrow slice of the world they see. do you see information from other parts of the world? >> little. >> reporter: and they start gets nervous when you ask questions about their real lives. do you think you will have a successful future with money? >> i don't want to talk so much about that. that will be on tv. >> spero: american tv. do you want to see change? >> si. >> reporter: what kind? but they tell us they want to

the believe cuba for a better future some where else. until then, they are taking advantage of the small changes that have taken root in the last few years. when fidel castro handed the presidency to his brother in 2008, he started to experience with free enterprise, allowing the cubans to have small int enterprizes. the castros seem to be counting on the extra cash, satisfying the people. it's an attempt to rescue cuba from economic ruin. but as far the rest, the faithful here say their future here is in god's hands.