Family Emergencies...Are You Prepared For One?

Would you know what to do if a family emergency happened? I had to learn real quick because two on the job accidents put Robert in a coma. I was not a happy camper at all. The first one happened in Dallas, Texas and the second one happened in Round Rock, Texas.

The first accident happened when I was a stay home Mom and my kids were small. I was also going to the University of Texas at Dallas and trying to get a degree in Business Administration (I graduated from the university in May 1993 and it was not easy at all). I was home with the kids and Robert's boss called and told me that Robert had a on the job accident and he was in a coma at Parkland Hospital. I was an emotional wreck. I could not do much of anything. His boss came and got the kids and I and we went to the hospital. I saw him in a coma...this is all I needed...to be a single Mom with 2 kids. Well, now for the ending of the story, Robert is fine now. Praise the Lord!

The second accident happened on December 7, 2001. I was working this time and had the early shift. I was working as a Customer Service Representative at JCPenney Catalog. I worked the early shift of 7 am to 3:30 pm and then I went home. The unexpected call came and it was Robert's boss. He told me that Robert had a on the job accident, the scaffold tipped over and went thru a van window and my husband landed 40 feet on his head onto a concrete parking lot. I went into a panic mode. I could not believe this---a second on the job accident...satan was out to destroy my family. My family and I had no family members in Austin except my church family so this accident was very hard on my children and I. I also depended on the Lord for Robert's complete healing . Robert's boss sent a taxi for me since I was an emotional wreck again. The kids and I went to Brackeridge Hospital in Austin, Texas. I immediately went to ICU and saw my husband on a life support machine and his head was wrapped up in a bandage. I almost fell apart but through the Grace of God, I am still here. Robert made a full recovery. He had to have brain surgery since he had swelling of the brain. Some friends (more like family members but really church members) let the kids and I stay at their place for the weekend...this was a Blessing from God since I was an emotional wreck. They took care of us for the whole weekend. They fed us, gave us a place to stay and took us back and force to the hospital. Robert basically had to learn everything all over again from reading to walking. This is when I totally relied on the Lord for everything in my life. My husband was released in January 2002 from Brackeridge Hospital but had to have physical therapy for awhile. He then had to have knee surgery a year after his accident at Seton Hospital. Robert made a full recovery and is working as a Journeyman Electrician at the same employer. People have told me that I am lucky he survived...the doctors even told me this. They told me in the hospital to prepare for a funeral when the accident happened.

There are certain things you need when a emergency happens in your family. You need to prepare now for such an event. You need to have the following:

1. Living Will and Will---Do you have a Living Will and a Will? Hospitals are asking these days if you have one before they do surgery on you. Round Rock Hospital asked me if I had one after I dislocated my ankle about 8 months ago. Who are you going to leave your things to if you die? Who is going to take care of your children? A good attorney or a perpaid legal service will take care of this need. This is something to think about, ladies.

2. 10 Year Term Life Insurance---I use to be a Life Insurance Agent for Primerica and went to life insurance school for this training. I sold it for a living. If you do not have term life insurance, I would suggest you buy some today. Please do not buy permanent life insurance, this is the way the insurance agents make their money by pushing this kind of insurance on the customer. They do it for larger commissions. Permanent Insurance is more expensive than 10 year term insurance.

3. Home Owner's Insurance---Are you prepared if your house burns down? It happened to my Sister In Law. Her house burned down and her and her new husband had to build it again by hand since money was a issue in their family and they could not afford to hire a contractor. Another thing to think about is this concept.

4. Car Insurance---Do you have car insurance? You should in case you have an accident on the freeway with a crazy driver. If you have a older car, I recommend mininum coverage required by your state. If your car is newer and you are making payments, I recommend that you have full coverage. Do not buy car insurance and think the insurance company is going to pay you as a customer for a new car if you drive a beat up car now. It does not work that way...insurance companies are out to make a profit.

5. Savings Account---Most people do not have a savings account at the credit union or bank. Let me ask you a question...what happens if you are in a bind and need the money. You will not have the money and you will suddenly add stress to your life. Most couples end up getting a divorce because of money. I heard that you need at least 3-6 months of living expense to survive if the unthinkable happens.

6. Individual Retirement Account---You need a Individual Retirement Account for the self employed and a 401(k) if you work for a employer. What are you going to retire on? Nothing? Medicare and Social Security are not going to be around forever so it is time to save now. It is well known on the television and radio that this is a true concept.

7. Home Warranty Plans on the House---What happens if the dishwasher breaks...will you be prepared? You are probably thinking that the dishwasher will not break. Ours did and the waterheater also broke. Lucky, we had a home warranty plan for the house. I would look in my local phone book or surf the internet for one. I would ask three different companies how much they would charge for their plans for a year and what does it cover. Does it cover bugs? Bugs love to live in your home during the summer months.

I hope you ladies get your financial agenda in order. A good person to discuss other financial things is Dave Ramsey and his website is http://www.daveramsey.com Dave has a radio station that you can tune into in your area. Dave went from being rich to being broke in the real estate market. I highly recommend him...my husband and I took a course through him at his Financial Peace University and it was free of charge. It was given by Shoreline Christian Center in Austin Texas.

If this has been helpful, please leave me a comment. I would love to hear from you so please leave a comment or write to me at barbarabodling@yahoo.com

Love, Hugs, and Blessings,

Barbara