This is a real story from a close friend of mine, one that I still cannot forget.
Years ago, my friend’s parents bought a policy from an insurance agent.
Unfortunately, the agent lacked professionalism and did not explain anything clearly. The father felt misled, disappointed, and eventually rejected all insurance products afterward. From that day on, he avoided insurance completely, and just like that, he went through half his life with zero protection.
One day, my friend’s mother started having unusual stomach pain. She thought it was nothing serious until she noticed blood when going to the bathroom. After a full medical check-up, the diagnosis came like a lightning strike:
Late-stage colon cancer.
Without medical insurance and having been a housewife for decades with no income, she had no choice but to receive chemotherapy at a government hospital.
At that time, my friend had just graduated.
She had to work full-time, pay off her student loan, and take care of her sick mother, all at the same time.
Her life shifted overnight.
Just when things seemed to stabilize, another devastating blow hit the family.
During the mother’s recovery, my friend’s father began feeling unwell. A check-up confirmed the worst:
Nasopharyngeal cancer.
When my friend told me this, I literally felt chills all over my body. I once asked her why her parents never had medical insurance.
She finally shared the truth:
The father’s one bad experience with an unprofessional insurance agent caused him to avoid insurance his entire life.
Because of that decision, he ended up with no medical coverage, no critical illness protection, and no safety net when he needed it the most.
Before falling ill, the father was the sole breadwinner of the family. After the diagnosis, he could no longer work.
Today, the only income in the household comes from my friend and her younger brother who just entered the workforce.
Two young adults, carrying the entire financial burden of the family.
My friend told me:
“If my father understood the importance of insurance earlier, we wouldn’t have to carry everything on our shoulders now.”
She lives under constant pressure, to the point where she doesn’t even have the emotional capacity to think about relationships. When crisis happens, regret usually comes too late.
After everything, my friend bought her own protection. After experiencing all this, my friend finally purchased:
- Critical Illness Coverage Insurance
- Comprehensive Medical Insurance
Because she learned the most painful lesson:
You cannot avoid risks. However, you can prepare for them.
Insurance doesn’t make you rich.
But at the worst moment of your life, it protects you from falling from “sick” straight into “bankrupt.”
Final Thoughts: Professional Advice Prevents Regret
I’ve never met the agent who sold the policy to my friend’s father many years ago.
But the consequences were clear:
If proper professional advice had been given,
If the importance of coverage had been communicated clearly,
If the father had felt guided, not pushed.
This entire story might have had a different ending.
As a financial planner, this reminded me deeply:
Insurance is not about selling.
It’s about preventing families from experiencing regret.
I hope this true story encourages you to prepare early for yourself and for the people you love.
Because risk never asks whether you’re ready.
It arrives uninvited.
