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When Katherine experienced a life changing illness, family and her recovery were top of mind. This meant not letting things like financial obligations get in her way.
Description: Sad, slow music begins to play in the background on a black screen.
Description: A woman appears sitting on a chair in a living room beside a table with a vase of flowers. She looks to the right of the camera and begins to speak.
Katherine: I think as humans we always think it's not going to happen to us. We always think it's going to be the next person. We just, I guess, especially when you're younger, you feel invincible. You just feel it's not going to affect you. It's not going to happen to you.
Description: A white box appears screen right of Katherine with red text. The text reads, Katherine, self-employed mother of two.
Description: The white box disappears.
Description: The screen becomes grey and blurred. A white box appears screen right. The text reads, in May 2015, Katherine was diagnosed with Langerhans cell sarcoma. The red text disappears, and more red text appears that reads, 60 known cases worldwide, zero specialists worldwide, 25% survival rate.
Katherine: As we broke this news to various people around us, the people that were, I guess in my husband's world,
Description: The box disappears and Katherine reappears to the right of the camera.
Katherine: which is the medical community, they understood immediately the implications. So they would immediately come and give me a hug. I knew that wasn't good.
Description: The screen becomes grey and blurred again. A white box appears screen right. The text reads, Katherine visited doctors familiar with her illness in Boston and California for treatment options.
Katherine: Every time I would be sitting in the waiting room waiting for my radiation treatment,
Katherine: I would look at who was sitting around me, and I could see that there were people who were struggling like me with these health issues, but they had other struggles as well. They had to figure out how their rent was going to be paid. They were in a state where they could not go to work, but how could they make their financial commitments?
Description: The screen becomes grey and blurred again. A white box appears screen right. The text reads, in her 30s, Katherine purchased critical illness insurance for her family.
Katherine: This critical illness insurance made the whole.
Katherine: process of recovery just a lot smoother, a lot easier. By removing the financial element out, by it being able to take care of that financial element, we could just focus on the whole healing, on the whole finding the treatment plan, going through the treatment, all of that, and just getting better.
Description: The screen becomes grey and blurred again. A white box appears screen right. The text reads, Katherine’s cancer is currently under control and doctors continue to monitor her progress.
Description: Katherine: I can't believe that.
Katherine: It almost seems like it never happened. It was so intense while it was happening. Now that it's over with, it just seems like it was another lifetime away.
Description: The video changes to Katherine walking with her two children on the sidewalk with snow on the ground.
Katherine: When it's about to all be gone, you certainly become aware of what's really most important to you.
Description: The video returns to Katherine.
Katherine: And, I still get mad at my kids and my husband, you know, but I think I'm a lot more patient with the people closest to me because you're just keenly aware that they may not always be there or you may not always be there. So, you know, just let go of the little insignificant things.
Description: A white screen appears with red text that reads, protect what’s most important – your health and the ones you love. Talk to your advisor today. The Canada Life logo appears.
A critical illness can happen to you even if you have a healthy and active lifestyle. Critical illness insurance helped Warren take care of his daughter and wife, Sandra, to lessen the emotional and financial strain of Sandra’s illness.
Description: Emotional music begins to play. Man begins to speak.
Warren: My first reaction when I heard Sandra had cancer was denial.
Description: A happy, family portrait of a woman, man and infant daughter appears.
Description: The video turns to the man in a room. A white box appears at the same time with red text that reads, Warren, Sandra’s husband.
Warren: I think before we even heard the word cancer, I was just denying the fact that it was very much a possibility that it can happen to anybody.
Description: A photo of a woman and Warren wearing winter attire appears. A white box with red text appears on the screen that reads, yesterday, a healthy lifestyle.
Description: The scene cuts to a woman speaking in a room. A white box appears at the same time with red text that reads, Sandra, 30, Lymphoma cancer patient.
Sandra: We had a pretty active lifestyle before I got sick. We have a Dragon Boat team with our family. We have a home gym. We like to get out with our daughter.
Description: A picture of Sandra, Warren and their infant daughter appears. Their daughter is in a chest carrier worn by Warren. The family is smiling.
Sandra: She has dance classes.
Description: A picture of Sandra, Warren and their infant daughter appears. They are all bundled in winter attire, smiling for the camera.
Sandra: She's a very busy, energetic little girl that needs to be kept busy.
Description: Then video then cuts to a photo of Sandra and Warren who are wearing numbers on their chest for a marathon. They are both smiling for the camera.
Warren: We were active, we were healthy. We always bought our fresh fruits, veggies, every couple of days.
Description: The video returns to Sandra and Warren sitting beside each other in the room.
Warren: Every couple of days, we had, our meals, we had lots of balance between our meats, our fruits and our vegetables.
Description: The video cuts to Warren.
Warren: That's just was we enjoyed. We don't drink much, we don't smoke.
Description: The video returns to Sandra and Warren.
Warren: We're out every day, we have a dog, so I take her for a run in the mornings and Sandra would take her with a walk for our daughter in the afternoons.
Description: The video returns to Warren.
Warren: I guess just average people, but active and healthy, and we prided ourselves on being healthy and taking care of ourselves to live a long and healthy life. It's just you don't get to decide how your life goes sometimes.
Description: A photo of Sandra and Warren wearing winter attire appears. A white box with red text appears on the screen that reads, the diagnosis.
Warren: What happened was really just out of the blue.
Description: The video cuts to Sandra.
Sandra: There's no history in my family of the type of cancer I have. That's one of the top three reasons you get Lymphoma, but there isn't any in my family. There's no history of it.
Sandra: I was going just for a check-up, get my teeth cleaned, I hadn't been in a while, and wasn't expecting to be where we are now.
Warren: I just kept telling myself, "The results will come back in and it will be nothing. We'll get this removed. She'll have her nice visit to the dentist she's been waiting for.
Warren: And we'll move forward and there will be lots of time, that we can play with our daughter and just have a normal summer that way."
Description: A photo of Sandra and Warren wearing winter attire appears. A white box with red text appears on the screen that reads, the beginning treatment, a lifestyle change.
Warren: The first day or so was...It kind of felt like a bomb had gone off in our lives. It was like a ringing in my ears and you're trying to absorb everything all at once, and there's so many emotions.
Warren: You kind of have to buckle down and say,
Description: The video cuts to a photo of Sandra and Warren who are smiling. They are both bald.
Warren: "No, this was... it doesn't really matter how I feel right now. We got to take care of Sandra."
Description: A photo of Sandra and Warren wearing winter attire appears. A white box with red text appears on the screen that reads, the beginning treatment, today and tomorrow.
Warren: You go through life and people hear the word insurance, and I think sometimes there's a negative stigma attached to that, but this really was something that helped us take care of us, take care of our family, and provide, as a husband, as I said to provide for my wife and my daughter, and it was just such a good thing. Such a good thing. The service we received, it was unbelievable how great everybody was.
Description: Sandra and Warren are featured walking in a busy downtown area, walking together, holding hands and smiling.
Description: The screen goes white. Red text appears that says, talk to your advisor today. Canada Life logo appears.
Term insurance matters most in protecting the ones we love. Learn how term life insurance helped Claire Freeman and her family after her husband lost his battle with multiple myeloma. Learn more at https://www.canadalife.com/insurance/life-insurance.
Description: A large outdoor sign that reads: Comox Valley Airport. Your journey begins here [soft music].
Description: People in the Comox airport terminal looking up at a replica Nieuport biplane hanging from the ceiling. A man with a camera that has a long lens points the camera upwards. A wide shot of the terminal with a man speaking at a podium in front of a crowd. The biplane hangs above the crowd.
Podium speaker: I would like to welcome all of you to the dedication of the aircraft tonight, and I'd like to make a special welcome of our distinguished guest,
Description: A close up shot of a section of the crowd. Among these people stands a woman dressed in black.
Podium speaker narration: Mrs. Claire Freeman, wife of Dave Freeman who donated the aircraft.
Description: A close up shot of a man taking a picture of the biplane with his phone. A man gestures up towards the plane, speaking to the man he is standing beside. Claire greets another woman in the crowd with a hug.
Podium speaker narration: We are sad that Dave could not be here to see his vision realized,
Description: A man in the crowd holds up his phone to take a picture of the plane. The camera pan/tilts from the man to the plane hanging from the ceiling. A close up shot of the side of the plane. A mannequin sits in the cockpit dressed in period gear. On the side of the plane near the cockpit, golden letters read: Aircraft donated by Captain Dave Freeman.
Podium speaker narration: but we sincerely thank his family for their support. We know this display will delight and educate many people in the years to come.
Description: An aerial shot travelling through the sky. The sun sits in a blue sky above the clouds [driving string orchestra music begins to play]
Claire narration: I think his first passion was flying the littler planes, and that was his stress-reliever.
Description: A close up interview shot of Claire in her house. She is looking offscreen as she speaks. Beside her a text banner appears that reads: Claire Freeman.
Claire: Anytime he could get up, go flying in the small plane, that was the thing to do.
Description: A close up shot of a framed picture of a smiling Dave standing beside a small blue plane. Cut to another framed photograph of Dave, this time standing in front of a small yellow plane.
Claire narration: Dave was always crazy about planes and everything revolved around planes and airports.
Description: A man dressed in business attire sits in a small hanger, behind him sits a small yellow plane. Beside him a text banner appears that reads: Andy Freeman, Financial advisor and Dave’s brother.
Andy: He ended up buying a plane similar to the one behind us when he was about 16 years old. So, I remember in high school, where most people are hoping to save for a car, or get their driver's license, he already owned an airplane, which was pretty cool.
Description: A close up shot of a framed picture of Dave as a teenager, standing in front of his first plane. Cut to a close up shot of Dave and Claire as teenagers, smiling as they pose for a photo at the beach. Cut to another photo of teenaged Dave and Claire, dressed in diving gear sitting on a boat.
Claire narration: We just had a love of sports and outdoor activities,
Description: Another aerial shot travelling through the sky above the clouds towards the sun.
Claire narration: and we started going flying together a little bit.
Description: Cut back to the interview shot of Claire sitting at her kitchen table.
Claire: One thing led to another, and I think we dated for two years and then got married.
Description: Cut to a framed picture of Claire about to blow out the candles on her 21st birthday. Dave is beside her kissing her on the cheek. Cut to a framed picture of Dave and Claire’s wedding photo [cheerful acoustic music begins to play and continues over the following photo montage].
Description: Cut to a photo of Claire and Dave’s wedding party, posing for the camera in a park-like setting. Cut to photo of Dave and Claire each holding one of their infant children. They are happily posing with their priest and other family members in their church. Cut to a family photo of Dave, Claire, their three young children, and the family dog. Cut to a photo of Dave and his three young children in a small canoe in the water. Cut to a vacation picture of Dave, Claire and their three young children smiling, posing for a picture on a beach. Cut to a photo from the same vacation. Dave and his three young children are sitting in a swimming pool, smiling and holding tropical drinks. Cut to a picture of the entire family sitting on a couch smiling at the camera. Cut to a picture of the three children sitting on bales of hay loaded on a wagon. They are flashing the peace sign to the camera as Dave stands smiling beside the wagon. Cut to a photo of the family in semi-formal wear, smiling for the camera in an outdoor nature setting. Cut to a photo of Dave on a tractor. His children are gathered around him on the tractor. Cut to a more recent photo of Dave, Claire and their three children at their farm. They are standing together smiling as Claire takes a selfie of the family. In this picture the children are now young adults.
Description: Cut to a shot of Claire and her son Graham and their pet dog walking beside a barn on their farm. Cut to a wide shot of them walking towards a small white house. Cut to a shot of chickens meandering around the yard pecking at the ground.
Graham narration: I think this farm is sort of my parents' dream home. My mom, she wanted to have a little farm where she can have her animals and her garden, just a lot of projects she can work on.
Description: Cut to an interview shot of Graham outdoors on the family farm. In the background is one of the barns. A text banner appears beside him that reads: Graham Freeman.
Graham: My dad's the same way, always had lots of projects going on.
Description: Cut to a small yellow plane in a barn. Cut to a photo of Dave in the field, driving a tractor that is pulling a haybine. Cut to a photo of Dave and Claire smiling, standing in front of a biplane in the field at their farm. Once of their sons stands behind the plane.
Graham narration: Just the whole farm thing, they both loved it.
Description: Cut to a photo of Dave, Claire, and their daughter posing in front of a large trailer loaded with bales of hay. One of their sons is sitting on the tractor, the other is sitting on the top of the bales of hay.
Claire narration: When we moved to Courtenay, I saw it as a hayfield,
Description: Cut back to a close up interview shot of Claire.
Claire: perfect place to get a horse. Dave saw airstrip. That's totally true.
Description: Claire smiles as we cut to a shot of a clear blue sky. A commercial aircraft flies across the screen from bottom to top [airplane engine roars as the plane flies across the screen].
Description: Cut to a shot of an aircraft landing at an airport. Cut to a photo of Dave in an airplane cockpit, wearing his captain uniform, turning around to smile for the camera. Cut to a photo of Dave in full uniform standing beside a very large aircraft. Cut to another photo of Dave in uniform standing in front of an aircraft as it is being loaded.
Tye narration: Oh, I think he loved it, right? I believe from an early age, probably when he was 12, he dreamed of being a pilot.
Description: Cut to an interview shot of Tye standing on the airfield at the Powell River airport. A text banner appears beside him that reads: Tye Leishman, childhood friend.
Tye: To a certain degree, I think the schedule wore on him a bit, right? Because he didn't want to be away from his family, but the flying always is what makes it worthwhile.
Description: Cut to another aerial shot travelling through the sky above the clouds towards the sun [music ends].
Description: The camera dips into the dark clouds, eventually obscuring the sun and the sky. The screen is almost completely dark with clouds as the picture dissolves to an interview shot of Claire at the kitchen table. Her tone is more somber then previously.
Claire: About two years ago, May, he had a very bad backache, and it progressively got worse to the point he couldn't sleep in a bed anymore. Finally, we went and got a private MRI and discovered it was multiple myeloma [Deep, introspective music starts to faintly rise].
Description: Cut back to Andy’s interview clip in the hangar.
Andy: Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer. When he was diagnosed with it just over a year ago, I didn't know what it was. Obviously, you Google it pretty quick, and unfortunately it's a very aggressive cancer and doesn't usually have a good outcome, unfortunately.
Description: Cut back to interview shot of Claire in the kitchen.
Claire: Dave's case went very rapidly. He did do the stem cell treatment, which gave him a relief for about four months. He felt really, really great. And then, it came back, and within two months he had passed.
Description: Cut to a shot of a table. On the table are Dave’s captain hat, his epaulets, and his pilots’ wings. To the left of the hat, Dave’s obituary fades onto the screen. It reads in part: David Thomas Freeman August 21, 1969 – October 29, 2019 Dave died peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones, after bravely fighting an aggressive cancer for 16 months [somber music continues].
Description: Cut back to Claire in the kitchen.
Claire: He was 50,
Description: Claire pauses, shakes her head, considering.
Claire: pretty young.
Description: Claire dabs at the corner of her eye with a tissue. Cut to Graham standing outside. He pauses for a moment, considering.
Graham: He was fine, and then a few months later it just... took him fast. It came as a real shock, right? It's not something you'd expect. You don't expect it, like, it happens to other people. You just don't expect it to happen to someone you love, right?
Description: Cut to Andy sitting in the hangar in front of the small yellow plane.
Andy: So this text I received is one of the very last notes my brother sent me. I was having dinner and this popped up on my screen, and if you ever wonder what we do, or what a financial advisor does, this will tell you.
Description: Andy begins reading the text message on his phone.
Andy: "Hi Andy. Just wanted to update you.”
Description: Cut to a close up of the text message on Andy’s phone.
Andy narration: “They had to bring me to the hospital last night as my platelets were nearly zero, and so was my hemoglobin.”
Description: Cut back to Andy.
Andy: “Basically I'm the walking dead. Anyway, they began giving me transfusions, blood and platelets. They are trying to stabilize me. They also mentioned they're stopping chemo and other treatments as there is not much they can do. Also, I put in a non-resuscitation order.”
Description: Andy pauses.
Andy: “Anyway, they're trying to stabilize me so I can go home. They didn't give me a timeframe, but probably be around for a little bit unless I react with these transfusions, which so far have been okay. Claire is here with me, so all is good. Anyway, I'm okay to text but I can't talk. I'll update you as I can. You're the executor of my will. Don't invest in anything risky. Please, I don't ever want her to have to worry. All right, love you, Dave."
Description: Andy finishes reading the text and looks at the offscreen interviewer. He then looks directly at the camera and then back offscreen. Cut to a close up shot of Claire.
Claire: Dave always believed in insurance, so he had himself well covered previous to this. So we weren't worried about how things would turn out financially [the sound of rain falling fades up over Claire and continues over the next shot].
Description: Cut to a close up shot of a sign hanging on a wooden fence. The sign is comprised of carved wooden letters that spell out the word LOVE. Barns are visible in the background and rain is falling. [hopeful music fades up].
Description: Cut to a wide shot of the farm showing a barn, a shed, and the house. Rain continues to fall. Cut to a shot of the kitchen window from inside the house. Outside the house, multiple farm buildings are visible.
Andy narration: Dave really wanted to focus on making sure that there was a lot of money coming in, so Claire didn't have to go back to work,
Description: Cut to a shot of Claire sitting at the kitchen table with her sister amiably chatting. Cut to a shot of a framed photograph on a shelf. In the photograph, Dave and another person sit, smiling in a pick-up truck. Cut to a shot of one of the family’s dogs, asleep on the kitchen floor. Cut back to the shot of Claire and her sister in the kitchen. Claire reaches down to pet one of the dogs while another dog watches. Cut to a close up of Dave’s funeral card, attached to the fridge with a magnet.
Andy narration: and she could stay on the farm, and she could be able to maintain the lifestyle that they were accustomed to.
Description: Cut back to Andy in the hangar.
Andy: In October I ended up... A week later after he passed away, our company, it was very good at paying out the claim.
Description: Cut to a shot of Claire walking outside on the farm. She walks with an umbrella as rain falls down around her. She leans against a wooden fence and stares out towards the field and landing strip.
Claire narration: Financially I have no worries, and I guess it takes a lot of pressure off myself, kids as well.
Description: Cut to interview shot of Claire in the kitchen.
Claire narration: Their education, basically it's going to be covered.
Andy: His last gift to her was making sure she'd be taken care of forever, and that's part of the promise that Canada Life provided with the life insurance. But now, post-life insurance, we've set her up to make sure that there will be an income for life for her.
Description: Claire and Graham and one of the family dogs are walking beside the barn and pass through a gate in the fence. Cut to a closer shot of them walking together, smiling.
Claire narration: Yeah. This is the dream, to stay here on the property
Claire: and basically, yeah, heal my heart here.
Description: Wide shot of Claire and her sister walking out into the field. Three dogs run alongside them. The camera pans to follow them [music rises].
Claire narration: I miss him, but you just have to keep going [music rises].
Description: Cut to a white screen. Canada Life logo appears onscreen. Small text appears at the bottom of the screen: Canada Life and design are trademarks of The Canada Life Assurance Company [music fades].