Get Ahead of Life

A CANCER DIAGNOSIS THREATENED TO DERAIL VINCENT LAUFS' LIFE. HERE'S HOW OLD MUTUAL ILLNESS INSURANCE HELPED HIM, AND HIS LOVED ONES, WEATHER THE STORM.

IT WAS COLON CANCER. Sitting in the doctor's office, Vincent Laufs was in shock. He was an active guy on the cusp of 40, a proud father, and a dedicated accountant. The last thing he expected in 2016 was a serious illness. "I really didn't think that this would ever happen to me," he admits.

However, his job had taught him to plan for every eventuality, and on a recommendation from his broker, he'd purchased Old Mutual Illness insurance back in 2010. This coverage is designed for exactly this type of scenario, providing funds to cover many of the unexpected costs associated with a serious illness. Often, your medical bills might be just the tip of the iceberg with home modifications, physical therapy, and travel costs adding up to a substantial sum throughout your treatment. In the long run, having access to this cover would give Vincent much-needed stability in the turbulent years ahead, especially after he later suffered a stroke in 2019.

"As a family, we would've faced years of real financial hardship if Vincent hadn't taken out Illness insurance," says his wife Cezanne.

The Road to Recovery

Destroying cancer cells is no easy task. These cells grow and multiply faster than most others in the body, so treating many forms of cancer often requires aggressive interventions such as chemotherapy. This drug treatment uses powerful chemicals to either slow the growth of cancer cells or eradicate them completely. When Vincent embarked on this course of treatment, he knew there would be difficult days ahead.

"Chemotherapy has many side effects," he says. "So it was going to be difficult to work, and impossible to consult with my clients."