How a mother’s brain tumour changed her child’s life

In March 2017, a client phoned Discovery financial adviser Adam Helper to ask him a question about his wife’s Discovery Life premiums.

“He just wanted to know if her premiums were up to date, and if they weren’t, he’d like to pay them because she’s in hospital.”

The word ‘hospital’ stirred Adam’s natural inclination to help.

“I asked what’s wrong and he said, ‘we’re suspecting a brain tumour and I just want to make sure her premiums are up-to-date’. And I said, ‘well that’s already a severe illness claim’ – so we put in a request and she received her severe illness pay out within two weeks of lodging the claim. Discovery Life paid out a few hundred thousand rand on her Severe Illness Benefit.”

But that’s not all that happened …

The man who phoned Adam had been his client since 2006. In 2014, Adam sat down with his client’s wife to talk about her life insurance. “She was in her late twenties at the time” he says. “Her daughter was nine years old and I spoke to her about the Discovery Global Education Protector which is a risk product to cover children’s education fees in the event of the parents encountering a life-changing event like death, disability or severe illness – whichever happens first.”

When she was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2017, the Discovery Global Education Protector came into effect – paying for their then 10-year-old daughter’s school fees for the rest of her schooling career.

“I phoned him (the husband) that morning that we paid the severe illness claim and I said to him, by the way, I added a Global Education Protector which means that you no longer have to pay for your daughter’s education. Discovery Life will pick up the cost from now on, right through to matric plus a tertiary qualification.”

“He couldn’t understand what I meant and I remember he was quite emotional on the phone,” Adam remembers. “And he said, ‘but what happens when she recovers? Because she’s going to recover’.”

“I said no problem; it’s been triggered and we’ll pay right up until your daughter finishes university.”

Education secured

Discovery Life is still paying their daughter’s school fees. “Every year the father sends us the enrolment forms and then Discovery pays directly to the institution. In this instance, it’s a primary school, they just pay the annual fees every year and they also give an allowance for certain extras like books.”

Adam says the Global Education Protector factors in education inflation – estimated at about 9% per annum – which has been factored into the benefits. “That product has been around a long time. In 2017 Discovery enhanced the benefit and now it’s got a whole cash back component as well that helps to fund a child’s tertiary tuition fees – so the cash back feature is based on the parents’ Vitality status,” he explains.

In the meantime, his client has beaten her brain tumour. “She’s fully recovered, back at work, and we’re still in touch.”

“Every claim is a tragic event and it’s  life-changing,” he concludes. “We’ve changed these people’s lives forever. Their daughter is guaranteed to be educated irrespective of what happens to her folks.”

This article is meant only as information and should not be taken as financial advice. For tailored financial advice, please contact your financial adviser. Discovery Life Limited. Registration number 1966/003901/06, is a registered long-term insurer, and an authorised financial services and registered credit provider, NCR registration number NCRCP3555. Product rules, terms and conditions apply.