This is Love: Life Insurance Is For Those Who Live

Losing a parent is difficult at any stage of life. But for young adults just starting out, it can be devastating.

“Losing my mother has taken an emotional and financial toll on my entire life,” said Jesaura Peralta, a senior at Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM) College in New York City. “It’s the biggest tragedy I’ve ever faced, but it’s also made me stronger, determined and goal-oriented.

“When my mom – my best friend – lost her battle with cancer, her funeral and other expenses were a complete financial struggle for my family. She had no life insurance and there was no plan for any of this.”

Jesaura, one of two college students who recently earned scholarships from State Farm® through a program called Life Lessons by Life Happens®, worked up to three jobs at one time to get through school and make ends meet after her mother’s death.

Her mother, Ercilia Alvarez, came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic in 1984 and raised Jesaura and her older brother as a single parent. “She came to a new country, made a good living and was successful,” said Jesaura. “She also left a loving impact on every person she met.

“Then in 2013, my mom became very ill, eventually diagnosed with stage 4 duodenal cancer,” she said. “When she died later that year, my life changed forever. If she had life insurance, we could’ve grieved for her without worrying about finances every step of the way.”

While no one wants to think about leaving children or young adults behind with no financial resources, it happens. When it does, it can change the path of their young lives.

Life insurance can make a difference in how your loved ones live the rest of their lives if the unexpected happens to you and they are left behind.

Young families, single parents or anyone with doubts about how their kids would get by without them are the ones who need life insurance most.

“One day I hope to become half the woman my mother was and continue to make her proud,” Jesaura said.

Life insurance can't bring a parent back, but it can make the future easier to navigate. And it’s not as expensive or as complicated as you think. There’s a policy to fit every budget, and an insurance agent can help you find coverage that’s right for you.

Remember, life insurance is for people who live. Insure Your Love this February, the month of love.