Coping with childhood illness: the Johnsons’ story
At 11.30pm on a recent Friday evening, I read a posting on the Millwater Families Facebook page stating that a family in our community had just received the devastating news that their beautiful 5-year-old son had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Lodging a child trauma claim
I was thankful that Nigel and Haley Johnson’s names were mentioned as they are my insurance clients and it alerted me to the need to immediately lodge a child trauma claim under their existing Partners Life trauma (critical illness) cover. A feature of this excellent cover is that all children between the ages of 4 months and 21 years, have $50,000 lump-sum child trauma cover inbuilt into the parents’ trauma cover, at no additional cost.
How a child trauma claim can help
The implications of the diagnosis were that the mother, Haley, would need to take at least the next 9 months off work to be able to care for Kruden on a day-to-day basis and ferry him back and forth between Millwater and Starship Hospital. Nigel became the sole family income earner, placing additional financial pressure on the family.
Millwater showed what a caring community it is through its fund-raising for the family, via a range of personal initiatives and donations to the GiveaLittle page set up for the purpose.
Family-friendly insurance policies
I’m pleased to advise that the $50,000 child trauma claim was promptly paid to the Johnsons, thus considerably boosting the funds to sustain them while Haley provides full-time care for Kruden. Furthermore, the insurer, Partners Life, granted a premium holiday: Nigel and Haley did not need to pay their insurance premiums for the next 6 months, even though their policy continued in full force. Another great benefit from a company with very family-friendly policies.
I’m humbled and honoured to have been in a position to assist the Johnson family at this difficult time. That’s what my role as their insurance adviser enables me to do.