As a fitness instructor, Karen Robertson led an active life until she experienced a hemiplegic migraine in January 2008. RED ARC nurse Moya Hughes suggested oriental body balancing, which helped to speed up her recovery by up to four years.

After Karen suffered a hemiplegic migraine – a rare condition that includes temporary paralysis down one side of the body – she felt so debilitated she couldn’t work. She was discharged from hospital feeling very much alone.

Fortunately before she became ill, Karen had taken out Critical Illness Cover. She wasn’t able to make a claim because she didn't have a critical illness but she could still use the Helping Hand service included in the cost of her plan to help her recovery.

Karen’s personal nurse Moya suggested oriental body balancing, which uses a unique diagnostic system that views the body from different angles to find the root cause of the condition. And suddenly Karen began to feel better.

She went for 12 oriental body balancing sessions and received reiki for stress. The cost of these sessions was met by RED ARC as part of Helping Hand.

According to her therapist, it would have taken three to four years for Karen to recover without this help. Karen says: “When you take insurance out, you think you’re never going to need it. But if it hadn’t been for Helping Hand I would never have been able to pick myself up. It really saved the day for me.”

Helping Hand is only available with Bright Grey Personal Protection Menu plans