By the time you logged on to your computer, searched for this blog site and read this article, one Australian would have died from heart disease.  Do you know many Australians die every day from this disease?  According to the Australian Heart Foundation, every ten minutes somebody in Australia dies from heart disease.  In my calculations, that makes about 144 deaths a day.  In 2006 almost 46,000 Australians died because cardiovascular problems. 

I was thinking of these statistics when recently reading an article in the Courier Mail1 about Gold Coast pro golfer Matthew Ecob who suffered several heart attacks in March this year.  At 38 years old, Ecob is a man in the prime of his life.  He has a thriving golf career, is happily married and is the father of a daughter, 7, and a son, 4. 

The story describes how Ecob, 38, fought for his life after suffering two cardiac arrests that prompted “code black” emergencies at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.  He now has a pacemaker fitted.

Despite living a fit and active life and he and his family having no history of heart problems, he is now one of the more than 3.5 million Australians affected by cardiovascular disease2.  Heart disease affects two out of every three families.

Now this story has a happy ending because Ecob is back on feet on his feet, and eight weeks after his heart attacks has returned to competitive golf in Queensland. But he’s not out of the woods yet.  While he is back working he is not well enough to fully participate in his golfing career with overseas tournaments temporarily beyond his reach until his health improves.

The Heart Foundation says cardiovascular disease prevents 1.4 million people from living a full life because of disability caused by the disease.  If you suffered a heart attack and found yourself in a similar or worse position to Ecob, how would you and your family cope physically, emotionally and financially?

If you had trauma insurance, you’d should be okay.  Trauma insurance covers you for traumatic medical conditions such as heart attack and can help remove financial stress and pay for changes you may need to make to your lifestyle.  Insurance can help pay for your rehabilitation costs, lifestyle changes such as refitting your home, enable you to pay for a carer or for your partner to reduce working hours to care for you, help you pay off debts and if there is any leftover provide a reserve to use as income.

Trauma insurance can be taken out on its own, or as a combination with life and total and permanent disability insurance.  There’s a policy out there to suit every person on every budget, but one of the best way to ways to get a policy that suits you is to speak to a financial planner.  You can call us on 1300 766 323.

1Pramberg, Bernie, 20 September 2008,  ‘No rough patch will stop Matthew Ecob’s round’, Courier Mail, http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24371658-5014143,00.html

2 Australian Heart Foundation, http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/Heart_Information/Statistics.htm

 Please Note:

This publication has been prepared to provide you with general information only. It is not intended to take the place of professional advice and you should not take action on specific issues in reliance on this information. In preparing this information, we did not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. Before making an investment decision, you need to consider (with or without the assistance of an adviser) whether this information is appropriate to your needs, objectives and circumstances. This information is provided for persons in Australia only and is not provided for the use of any person who is in any other country.

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