Jade Goody got married today.  She has only weeks to live and she has been in the papers everyday for the last few weeks.  Some of the papers are saying that her story should be a private one that isn’t broadcast as it is bad taste to document someones death for the purposes of entertainment.

Since Jade Goody has been diagnosed cancer research charities have benefited in that people are now so much more aware of cancer.  Doctors surgeries have said that women asking for cervical screenings have gone up by 20% which can only be a good thing. 

People need to understand cancer a lot more and Jade Goody is showing people the effects it has.  You are ill, you can die and your family have never been more important.  Jade has been fairly well off anyway but she still sells her story  and wedding exclusives for as much money as possible so as to provide for her children.  For those people who say she should die quietly, how many of them would turn their backs on their children’s futures because of ‘bad taste’ worries?  Your family are everything to you and you do whatever you can for them, or at least that is the way it is supposed to be. 

I talk to people about Critical Illness Cover everyday and I am still surprised when clients favour pet insurance and car insurance over their own insurance.   I am a married man with two children.  I know that I have a 1 in 3 chance of being diagnosed with some form of cancer at some stage in my life time.  I have life insurance and equal amounts of critical illness insurance.  Whether I die or am diagnosed with a serious illness, my family will not suffer financially.  How many families can say the same?  Not many from my experience.

Jade Goody’s story is a sad one but we all need to learn from it.  Cancer happens and when it does you need to look out for your family.  It’s better to think about this now and have the relevant critical illness cover in place rather than focus on the pet and car insurance.