Beyond Life Insurance: Disability Riders for Uncertain Times (Complete)

At the age of 27, I was training for my first marathon. I was living my dream and I always wanted to serve those who had the least. And I got the opportunity to do that with a trade association. I was policy and implementation associate. This was Mike's first job right out of college. And the employer paid for the disability insurance, they paid for the life insurance and they paid for the health insurance and also contributed for him on the retirement. And he could add money and contribute as well. Michael was in Washington, D.C. and was crossing the street when he was hit by a drunk driver. He was rushed to a trauma center in D.C. When we got to see Michael, he was, of course, unconscious. They were, they put him in a medically induced coma. They were dealing with multiple fractures in his leg, a separated shoulder, a fractured cheek, a skull fracture and a traumatic brain injury. Michael's hospital bills were almost two million dollars. No normal person could have been prepared to handle that on their own. I underwent a year and a half of therapy, physical, occupational, speech. It's been a hard fight, but it's one I took on. I'm still recovering and I'm yet to go back to work. A big hindrance is the fact that I am prone to seizures and I have one every few months. Disability insurance gives me my freedom. I can pay the bills. I can go about doing my life as I please. Mike's individual disability policy pays for not only giving him an income, but it also pays quite a bit for rehabilitation expenses. Because these policies were individual policies and not group, now that Mike is still disabled, I work directly with him and don't walk through the door. No one plans for a tragedy, but when you have one, having disability insurance will give you your freedom back.