Care Stories
Every family has its own journey of loss
We’re here to help. Let’s walk through it together.
Making an insurance delay go away
Michelle, 71, grieving her husband
I can’t believe how much time I spent just trying to get our life insurance company on the phone. When I finally did, they told me it’s going to take at least three months to pay out his policy. It was the shock of my life. All the financial planning we did, that I was relying upon—well, I didn’t plan for this. I just didn’t have the time or energy to chase them down on the phone. When I reached out to a Care Manager, everything was accelerated. She contacted the insurance company for me, called them back day after day, and was able to cut that three months in half. After six weeks, they cut me a check.
Getting mental health support she can trust
Renee, 52, grieving her husband
Let me tell you something: it can sneak up on you. Grief? It’s so much more than just being sad. Part of it is, you’re so, so tired. After my husband died, I felt like a zombie, like a different person. I reached out to friends. No use. How could they understand? I knew I needed help, but Google was just endless choices—how do you know who to pick? An Empathy Care Manager sent me three choices for counselors and support groups in my area, plus I found all this audio on the app that I love. When I’m listening, I don’t feel as lost. And I ended up finding a group of women to talk to who are going through the same thing. They’re my lifeline. I can’t imagine getting through this without them.
Untangling an estate that was never settled
Lauren, 27, remembering her great-grandfather
My siblings thought I was crazy, that I’d never be able to figure it out. But it had been bugging me for years: My great-grandfather’s estate has never been settled, the instructions in his will never carried out. My grandmother was made the executor, and I guess she just never did it. When she died, I decided to find out what I could do. I shared all the little pieces of the puzzle with an Empathy Care Manager. She helped me make sense of it all, and guided me through filing a court petition to be named administrator of the estate. I’m really proud that Great-Granddad’s wishes are going to be honored. Finally.
Carrying on after COVID-19
Robert, 38, grieving his partner
My partner’s last weeks were a blur of pain and confusion. One day he was testing positive for COVID. A few days later we were making the awful decision to go to the ER in the middle of the night. A week from that, he stopped breathing. The hospital told me they had his body in the morgue. I was flat on the floor. Now I have to figure all this out by myself? It was just overwhelming. A Care Manager guided me through the first steps: She helped me write a list of the people in my life I should contact first, to get support. Then she helped me pick a funeral home, and called them for me. She showed me the tools in the app that would help, like a checklist I could follow to plan each part of the funeral. It was these small things that got me through the first few terrible days.
Honoring his fiancée in a special way
Chris, 31, grieving his fiancée
We were supposed to be married next summer. We were writing our own vows. I spent so much time worrying about those words, words that we never got to say to each other. After she died, I wanted to do something else to express how much I love her. I got in touch with the Care Manager because I didn’t really know where to start. Together, we came up with ways to honor her memory. I decided to plant a tree. That tree is going to outlive all of us, in Sarah’s name.
Clearing up IRA confusion
Melissa, 49, grieving her husband
My husband hadn’t listed me as a beneficiary on his IRA account. I’m the only beneficiary in his will, but for an IRA apparently that doesn’t matter. My attention span to work on a problem like this was just zip. My brain felt foggy all the time. I was walking around every day on no sleep, on autopilot. The person I chatted with at Empathy quickly helped me create my own IRA account, so I could transfer my husband’s money into it. Then she checked in with me over the next couple of weeks until I got all the funds. I can’t tell you what a relief that was.
Finding just the right words
Angela, 33, grieving her mother
My mom was my best friend. But when I went to write her obituary, I froze. The words just didn’t come. I felt like I was letting her down. The Care Manager I talked to about it got me chatting about my mom: her favorite holiday traditions, her favorite possessions (a well-loved collection of Aerosmith concert tees). Then she walked me through the Empathy obituary writing process, step by step, until it was finished. I kept adding more, just writing and writing. Remembering everything. I was so exhausted, and so relieved. I think she would have liked what I wrote about her.
Finding a way to cope with sleepless nights
Joseph, 62, grieving his wife
All day I’m OK. It’s the nights that get you. When it’s 3 a.m., 4 a.m., I feel like the only person in the world. Watching TV doesn’t help. I can’t pay attention—all I can think about is my wife, and the big empty bed. I started listening to audio episodes on the Empathy app, to hear a friendly voice and not have the pressure to talk. Right away, I feel less alone. I’ve learned a lot about grief—and I share the episodes with my daughters. We’ve also been using the family collaboration features in the app, so they can help me with all the decisions we need to make about my wife’s belongings and accounts. But it’s nice to have something positive to share with them, too.