Can you explain what your association is with the insurance industry.

I have been in the insurance industry for 15 years, working in underwriting, service, and management.

When did you first contact The Insurance Charity and why?

I first contacted The Insurance Charity when my son Archie was three years old and diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma cancer. Among other things, this put us in a very hard place financially as one of us needed to be in hospital with him 24/7 and the other with his twin brother at home.

What was the turning point that made you contact us?

We were a few months into Archies’s treatment, and I had been trying to juggle staying in hospital with Archie, swapping to look after Henry at home and also attempting to get into the office for work. A colleague mentioned contacting The Insurance Charity, as they had recently been offered help themselves. We were gradually falling into a harder position financially which was beginning to add further stress to our situation.

Did you have any reservations about contacting us before you got in touch?

I definitely had reservations, as I had never previously been someone that would express that I am struggling or ask for help.

I also initially found the idea of not only asking for support, but laying out your finances for somebody else to see at a time when they are not positive was very daunting.

However, The Insurance Charity representatives were very approachable, putting me at ease and making the whole process easy at a time when everything else was quite overwhelming.

How did The Insurance Charity support you?

The Insurance Charity has provided an amazing amount of support, making a hugely difficult situation a lot less stressful.

We had only recently bought our first family home and had our wedding only six months before Archie fell ill, which left us with outstanding debts.

The Insurance Charity provided a huge initial relief by getting our finances into a better place, and then providing monthly funds to cover various costs of living, including car finance payments.

Archie’s main treatment lasted over three years, during which he spent a huge amount of time in hospital and underwent various high levels of treatment, medical trials, surgeries and complications (along with COVID and the complications that brought). The Insurance Charity helped us throughout, significantly reducing our stress levels, which allowed us to make important medical decisions with a clearer mind. They also funded counselling for us both.

The Insurance Charity has continued to provide support to help us stay on our feet and get our life back. Archie is currently undergoing a medical trial in the US to help prevent relapse and my wife and I are getting back into full time work, whilst also going through separation. With the support provided, we have been able to do this in a way that has created as little extra stress as possible.

Has your situation improved since receiving support from The Insurance Charity?

Throughout our journey The Insurance Charity support has had a massive impact on our family, allowing us to navigate every hurdle with a significantly reduced amount of stress.

Without the help of the Charity, I don’t know how we would have been able to get through the last few years and have such a positive outlook going forward. They have helped us to ensure Archie’s and Henry’s wellbeing, along with our own has been priority throughout the journey, by alleviating the financial strain and providing support.

What would you say to anyone thinking of contacting us for support?

Just make that initial contact. Asking for help may be daunting at first, especially if you are sharing information about a personal situation. 

We were under a lot of stress at the time of reaching out and I had put off making contact, feeling anxious and that we weren’t worthy of the help, or whether any help would make any difference to our situation. Once I had made contact and had been put at ease by The Insurance Charity, the weight lifted off my shoulders. 

If I had never made that first contact, I couldn’t imagine how we would have got through the challenging times and move forward in such a positive direction.

Stock image used for confidentiality.