The worst day of my life!

It only lasted seconds – but the news I received that day has and will be with me and my family for the rest of our lives. It’s like losing a close family member or close friend. You go through shock, then disbelief, denial, anger, and eventually, if you can ever get your head around it, you learn that you really only have two choices. Stay in a state of disbelief (why me?) or – this is my new reality and I need to work through it.

All I remember of that conversation with my family physician was “you have cancer”! And thinking “cancer”, how, there is no family history, I’m healthy, eat right”… What was always someone else’s reality has now become mine/ours. I recall the doctors’ appointments, surgery, treatments; none of them could come fast enough for me. All I could think about was getting this thing out of me.

Shortly after being diagnosed, I wondered if all my affairs in order (i.e.: Wills, taxes, bills, life insurance). We called our “then” insurance agent to share our sad news and to be sure that our life insurance policy holders were aware of our new dynamic and how or if this would impact our situation and coverage’s going forward. They politely acknowledged our situation, were saddened, and explained that our policy was intact and nothing needed to be addressed at that time.

Anyone who has ever gone through cancer, or any other health related condition, knows the financial and emotional challenges associated with treatment.

It can be such a burden to family and those close to you. Time off work, appointments. (lots of them), tests, scans, prescriptions, drugs of every color, and the list goes on. It really does make you think about things that often get put on the back burner. Things like “Life Insurance”? Will I still be covered? What will the costs be now?? What needs to change?

Last summer my husband and I decided to look at alternatives for life insurance as our existing policies were set to expire in December, 10 years after they were entered into. Always wanting to be sure we were in good hands, our affairs in order, we were advised by a family associate to meet with Jeremy Harris of JS Harris Financial Inc. for a look into what might be best for us as we enter our next 10 years of life. This process became an undertaking we will never forget. Jeremy was thorough in reviewing our current policies and provided benchmarks in this somewhat obscure industry that we have always struggled to clearly understand. Jeremy walked us through our existing policy and brought to our attention the fact that we had a “CI benefit” provision. Not completely understanding the definition CI benefit, Jeremy explained to us that this coverage was for the diagnoses of a “Critical Illness”. The same coverage we had been paying for the last 10 years. The same coverage that our previous insurer didn’t even bother to tell or talk to us about when we emailed them and advised them of our health diagnoses we brought to their attention nearly 4 years ago now. Our previous insurance provider was aware of my condition – but failed to advise us of the CI benefit that we had been paying into for the last 10 years.

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Jeremy not only brought it to our attention, but went the extra mile and took over all of the related correspondence/documents/emails. (all I really needed to do was sign documents). Within a month, my husband and I received the CI benefit. Even though, per the wording of the policy (window of opportunity), we no longer qualified for the CI benefit.

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It is the professionalism and compassionate demeanor in which Jeremy has managed our portfolio since coming to him in the latter half of 2010. Never pushing, always informative, looking for the “best fit” solution, Jeremy takes comfort and pride in helping others. At a time when we are getting used to living with our new dynamic, Jeremy was able to structure our foreseeable future for what might be and even deliver on a benefit that sat dormant for the past 4 years through the other provider.

Jeremy – we can’t thank you enough.

Lynn W. and family