Rebecca’s story

At 39 Rebecca believed she’d had a charmed life. A successful career as a speech pathologist at Children’s Health Queensland, a charming husband and two well-adjusted, although at times testing, teenage daughters.

Having been feeling quite run-down for a number of months, Rebecca thought a family holiday in North Queensland to soak up the rays of the tropical sun, relax and rejuvenate was just what she needed. But, after returning and still feeling lethargic and generally unwell she made an appointment with her doctor.

After a number of tests, countless specialist appointments and an agonising wait for her results, her shock diagnosis of terminal cancer was revealed. With a life expectancy of less than two years it devastated Rebecca, her family and the people around her. She left her much loved job and being in the medical profession, began seeking any new medical trial treatments that may assist her. She was in luck; a new medical trial treatment had just started up interstate in Victoria as part of a medical research study to find a cure for cancer. Rebecca was a perfect candidate and she instantly signed up.

Rebecca’s terminal diagnosis meant she received a lump sum payment of $220,200 to her Mercy Super account. This along with her regular monthly income protection payments of $5,674 continued to support her family during this difficult time and financed her participation in the medical trial.

Taking out the $220,200 already paid for the terminal illness from the total $801,000 of cover, she still has $580,800 in death cover that would be paid out if she died. This provides her with a sense of calm and peace of mind that her family will be protected after her passing. Rebecca is resilient and maintains a positive outlook of beating this disease through the medical trials, while also providing valuable cancer research that will only help others in the future.