When the unexpected happened, critical illness cover made all the difference
At just 28-years-old, Cherine Lombard has faced challenges most people her age could never imagine. In 2023, while renewing her driver’s licence, she noticed vision problems. Further tests revealed a melanoma in her right eye: a diagnosis that came as a huge shock to her and her family.
“It's not something a 27-year-old thinks will ever happen, or imagines as a reality,” Cherine recalls.
Living with a critical illness diagnosis
Cherine’s treatment began with once-off radiation at the end of 2023, followed by ongoing injections into the melanoma in her right eye every six weeks. These traumatic treatments required time away from the classroom, where she worked as a science teacher, and often left her unable to work for days at a time.
Fortunately, Cherine worked closely with her brother, who is also her financial adviser, from an early age to ensure she had the right cover in place. She was able to claim on her Critical Illness Income (CII) and Critical Illness Lump Sum (CILS) benefits from Bidvest Life. This meant she received 130% of her insured monthly income for 12 months (less the waiting period) irrespective of her ability to work, along with a once-off lump sum to cover additional costs. Together, these benefits provided the financial stability she needed to focus on her health.
This highlights a gap often overlooked during a Financial Needs Analysis (FNA). Traditional critical illness lump sum benefits are often unable to address the ongoing monthly expenses a client will have while living with a critical illness.
Meanwhile, relying solely on traditional income protection can also have limitations. It typically pays 100% of the insured’s income and usually stops once they’re deemed fit to resume work, even if they still face major treatment and recovery expenses.
CII bridges this gap by paying out upon diagnosis of a defined illness, regardless of whether the client can still work. In Cherine’s case, this enhanced support made a significant difference. After her CII claim was paid for the first 12 months of her 24-month Temporary Income Protector (TIP) term, the claim was further extended under the permanent impairment criteria for the remainder of the TIP term until May 2026.
"Many young people don’t see the value of taking out life insurance, but you never know what tomorrow holds. Life throws curveballs, and you need to be prepared."
