The original version of this article ran Oct. 20, 2016. We believe the advice Myra Palmer gave is still highly relevant.
(Chicago) — It’s quite possible that I’ve never heard a more touching and persuasive personal story about the importance of life insurance than the one Myra Palmer gave today at the Women in Insurance & Financial Services national conference.
Take a moment and think about all the people that mean the most to you in your life. Now imagine losing them, one by one. That’s what happened to Palmer (pictured below).
Her story
Palmer’s father had a successful career in life insurance, rising to the MDRT level. Over the years, the agency grew and the family (her father, brother, mother and Myra herself) all began working together in the family business of insurance and financial planning.
“We built a family business,” Palmer said. “For years my father developed a succession plan. My brother was president, I was executive vice president, and a close family friend was a vice president. Dad transferred stock to us kids, and my parents moved into retirement.”
Palmer’s parents were able to enjoy a few years of retirement before her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. A short time later, her brother, 37, died in his sleep from aortic dissection. Within two weeks of his funeral, Palmer’s mother could not process any commands and required 24-hour care. Within a month of her brother’s funeral, both of her parents physical and emotional health declined rapidly.
Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there.
Four-and-a-half years after her brother’s death, her husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Six months after his diagnosis, her mother passed. Sixteen months after that, her father died. Twenty-two months after she lost her father, she lost her husband and the father of her three sons.