Hello, my name is Tamara "Nikki" Bennett, and I am seeking to raise $12,000 to cover the amount of my mother, Tamara "Tammy" Coward's, intended insurance policy. My beautiful mother, unfortunately, passed away on December 30, 2025. It was completely unexpected and a shock to our entire family. Nothing could prepare us for her loss, and yet the person who seemed to be the most prepared was my mother. I recently discovered she had a number for a cremation service saved in her contacts, and my mother also made it a point to have Life Insurance. She wasn't ready to go, but she was making sure things would be in order whenever she did. Which is why I think I was so crushed to learn that her efforts were not successful, but not at her fault.

My mother had a policy with Mutuals of Omaha that she established in May 2025. This wasn't her first policy; it was just her most recent. Her $12,000 policy was intended to cover the costs of her funeral/cremation services, and the balance was set to go to her husband and me to ease the financial burden of her loss. My stepfather, my aunt, and I all went to the funeral home to plan her services, and we provided them with her insurance information. That was one thing we thought we didn't have to worry about, so imagine our shock when the next day, the funeral director informed us that the insurance company was denying her claim because her policy had lapsed on November 28, 2025. My mother was in the Hospital from November 18, 2025, until December 5, 2025. If she did have a lapse in her payments, that was the reason. Also, according to her policy documents, she was enrolled in an Easy Pay plan in which funds were supposed to be deducted from her account each month. When I called the insurance company to inquire about other options, I was told they could not accept the past-due payment or reinstate her policy because she had already passed. Isn't that the purpose of Life Insurance? So, one potentially missed payment could cost us her entire policy? Also, why weren't the funds directly drafted from her account, as I assume all other previous payments had been made? I couldn't even speak to someone who could answer these questions for me. The representative I spoke with even read me the letter from the company that my family is set to receive in the mail, which basically says, "Sorry for your loss, but the policy had lapsed, so there's nothing we can do."

So now what? We sat down as a family and discussed our options. My Aunt offered to pay for the cremation on her credit card, and while that is great, and much closer to my mother's wishes, I genuinely don't wish to burden my aunt any further financially. She has been the saving grace for our family for years. Anytime we were in a money pinch, my aunt would show up to pick up the slack for her little sister, and while I am forever grateful for that, I would love to give her a break.

One of my mother's most significant concerns over the past couple of months, as her health declined, was the fear of being a burden. She spent the last few months of her precious life on an oxygen machine. It had gotten so severe that she was basically immobile and would get winded simply moving from one room to another. When she had doctor's appointments, she would have to lug a heavy oxygen tank behind her everywhere she went, and risk the chance of running out of the provided oxygen in the tank. We would have to pull the car up to just below the door so she could reach it. It was daunting and at times scary to watch her struggle with basic tasks, but we were all here for anything that she needed, and she was never a burden to any of us. She also did not want to be a burden in death, either, which is why she made sure to have an insurance policy in place. My mother was distraught when my uncle passed without insurance, and we, as a family, had to collect funds to cover his funeral expenses. She didn't want to put us in the same predicament when she passed, and that's what is most frustrating about this situation. My mother was trying! I think that's why I am so adamant about sharing what happened and seeking assistance: I know my mother didn't want to leave and have us scrambling to cover her services, or have my aunt once again cover the costs. I am requesting the amount of my mother's intended policy to help cover her final expenses and ease the financial burden on our family. Any assistance with this goal would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Nikki Bennett