Our next broker hero showcase is Jennie Brookes, from 313 Financial.
Jennie’s Hero Case Study
I was delighted to become a mum, but my joy was shattered when my daughter was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a rare form of blood cancer, at just eight weeks old.
In June 2017, I took my baby girl for a routine check-up – and the GP spotted something wasn’t right. Concerned, he fast-tracked her for blood tests at the local hospital that same day.
I literally didn’t think there was anything wrong with her, but then they got the results of the blood tests and they told me that night that she had leukaemia. It was a total shock. We had to rush to Sheffield Children’s Hospital, and we didn’t leave for six weeks. It’s just heart-breaking to see your baby going through all that.
I had taken out my Aviva critical illness policy in 2014, so I wasn’t sure if children’s critical illness was covered.
While I was in the hospital, one of my colleagues rang Aviva to double check what
I would be covered for. It was really great to hear that children’s coverage was automatically included, because I’d taken the policy out well before I had a child.
The claims process was fast, and within weeks, I received my pay out – a welcome support to help raise my daughter after such a difficult start in life.
Today, my daughter is a happy and healthy toddler. She might not remember her battle with cancer, but I can never forget it. As a mortgage adviser, recommending protection to my clients is always at the front of my mind. In the past, if a client said they didn’t want protection, I’d just accept it. Now I won’t. I’ll explain why it’s so important, and maybe tell them my story. If you have children or might have children in the future, you want to know they’re covered. No one knows what’s around the corner.
