How my financial adviser changed my life: the story of a cancer survivor

Lisa Ashton was 35 years old when she was diagnosed with stage-two cancer in 2004.

At the time, she was raising a young family in a new home with her husband, two children and a foster child. The emotional trauma of a cancer diagnosis in a family is distressing enough without having to deal with the financial challenges.

As a result of her diagnosis, Ashton knew it was time to review her financial situation and sought the guidance of her financial adviser, Jaco Joubert.

He advised her to increase her life cover and medical aid benefits and, in March 2005, Ashton’s dread disease policy became active. The following year, 17 days before her birthday, she called her financial adviser again.

Ashton says: “Jaco was one of the first people I called after speaking to my family. I wanted to know if I was covered. He told me that not only did I have the right medical cover in place, I also had a dread disease policy with Liberty. I gained a new appreciation for him.”

Joubert handled all her claims with limited interaction required from Ashton. This allowed her to focus on fighting cancer, dealing with the treatments and looking after her family.

During this time, the doctors found that oestrogen was fuelling the growth of the cancer and Ashton immediately started undergoing treatment to remove all the oestrogen from her body. She says: “Medically, it was traumatic for me – constant doctor’s visits, injections with thick needles and Tamoxifen. I became postmenopausal, had hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings. Later that year, I also had a hysterectomy and my ovaries removed.”

However, Ashton’s battle with cancer didn’t stop there. Five years later she went for a check-up only to find that the cancer had returned – this time in her rib bones. She was diagnosed with stage-four cancer. “Because I had the right level of dread disease cover in place when I was first diagnosed, Liberty paid out 50% of my cover. When I was diagnosed the second time, the rest of the policy was paid out to me.”

Today, nearly 13 years after starting her battle with cancer, Ashton is cancer free. Even though her cancer benefits are now depleted, she still has dread disease cover in place. That means that if she is diagnosed with a heart condition or any other dread disease, she will receive the necessary benefits.

Her financial adviser also made sure that she had the right medical aid benefits in place. In the unlikely event that the cancer does return, Ashton’s medical bills will still be covered.

“I think it’s important to tell this story because many people don’t understand the valuable role financial advisers play,” she says.

Lisa is not alone in her battle with cancer. According to Liberty’s claim statistics for 2017, cancer was the top reason for life insurance claims during the year. The most common type of cancer for women was breast cancer.

Johan Minnie, Liberty distribution and bancassurance group executive, says: “Behind the claim statistics, there are real people with a real need for quality financial guidance. Financial advisers play a pivotal role in helping people manage their money, prepare for life’s challenges and, most importantly, achieve their long-term financial goals.”

Minnie says that Ashton’s story shows how a relationship with an adviser saved a young woman whose life was turned upside down by this event.

Do you have a financial adviser? Speak to a Liberty financial adviser or broker today.

This article was paid for by Liberty.