In August 2008, life couldn't have been sweeter for 36-year-old Andrea. As well
as being mother to 3 boys, aged 6, 10 and 11, she also worked part-time as a classroom assistant at her local school, and went swimming 3 times a week. Life was a hectic round of school sports, keeping fit and socialising. It never occurred to her or her husband Andrew that anything could go wrong.

But unfortunately, while on holiday with her family, something did: Andrea discovered a lump in her breast. On her return she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Andrea says the full realisation of her illness sank in slowly. It wasn't until a few months later that the financial aspect really hit them. "I remember thinking 'how will we manage?' " she says. "It wasn't until our IFA reminded us that we were
covered that suddenly we realised we didn't have to worry."

Andrea and Andrew, a self-employed carpet fitter, bought Life or Critical Illness Cover with Bright Grey in 2005 because they wanted to know that they could pay their mortgage if Andrew couldn't work. "It felt like we had the best of both worlds. We'd be covered if the worst happened, but we'd also be covered if illness struck too. Andrew would be able to take time off work and it wouldn't be a disaster."

She says the Bright Grey plan stood out from the crowd. "The literature was simple, concise and straightforward. Everything was put in layman's terms. When you're buying a mortgage, you're bamboozled with jargon, so it was a relief to come across something that was so easy to read."

Andrea claimed on her plan in November 2008 and received her payment 2 months later. "When we submitted the claim we didn't know whether we were coming or going. We felt like a rug had been pulled from under our feet. But making the claim was so straightforward. There was just a page of A4 to fill in, with no intrusive or unnecessary questions. And my claims contact was really efficient. It made all the difference."

Andrea and her husband used the £75,000 to pay the mortgage off. "The payment has been wonderful," she says. "It meant Andrew could take time off work to support me and keep family life going." But support from Bright Grey isn't just financial – Bright Grey gives every menu plan owner their own personal nurse adviser to support them through difficult times.

Jenny, Andrea's RED ARC nurse, contacted Andrea shortly after her diagnosis. "Jenny was so likeable, I gelled with her instantly," she says. "The fact that she wasn't family really helped. And she had a medical background. I didn't want to phone the hospital because I knew my consultant was a busy man. But I knew Jenny would be able to give me an answer quickly."

Andrea says she also was able to prepare her for what was to come. "In the early stages of my diagnosis, I was just concentrating on keeping the children's lives as normal as possible. I hadn't given much thought to what my treatment might entail. But Jenny made sure I was prepared for everything that would happen. This meant that at every hospital appointment I went to I felt ready for what they would tell me – there were no unpleasant shocks."

Andrea says that having Jenny to speak to gave her an opportunity to ask questions she couldn't ask anyone else. "I was always very frank with Jenny and knew that she would be honest with me. She gave me health advice the hospital hadn't. She prepared me for how it might feel when my hair fell out. I hadn't been given the chance to find out that it might be distressing, but she had the time to tell me everything.

"Chemotherapy is such an unknown. Even though I'd nursed my mother through cancer, I still didn't really know what I was getting myself into."

Andrea says that above all, she felt she could really trust Jenny. "Friends and family would say 'you'll get back to normal' but I wouldn't believe them, thinking they were just being kind. But when Jenny said it, I knew it was true."

And Jenny was right. Now Andrea says she's "firing on all cylinders". She's looking forward to returning to work in January 2010 on reduced hours initially, with a view to building them back up again gradually.

The family have also used some of the claim payment to do something they'd always wanted to do - buy a camper van. "It was important for us all to have something to look forward to," says Andrea. "Rather than concentrating on the day-to-day and stagnating, we've been planning holidays and going on weekends away. Buying the van has bought us a future. Now we can start to move on."