When Nives Cutri was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, she prayed she would live long enough to save up to pay for her funeral. The 56-year-old mum breathed a sigh of relief when she learned a prepaid funeral with Bare Cremation would cost thousands less than what she was quoted elsewhere.
“I was in the shower, I stepped out and I couldn’t move my arm. A blood clot had moved into my heart. By investigating that, [the doctors] found the small cell lung cancer, Stage 4,” she said of the diagnosis.
“I prayed to God that I would get the funds that I need in time [to pay for my funeral]. But now that I have paid it completely, I can spend [what’s left] on adventures with my child and my friends.”
The stress of her diagnosis and financial hardship meant Nives was “living to die”. Now, with a prepaid funeral, she is “living to explore”.
The Warrnambool woman found the price difference between Bare and other funeral directors was around $7,000-8,000 for a similar service. She believes Bare is providing an invaluable social service by addressing the affordability issues for many struggling Australians.
Another advantage of a prepaid funeral is not having to leave the planning up to her brother. She has the freedom to choose the songs to be played, and the people she wants by her side, when she takes her last breath.
“I’m so grateful. I thought, if I was in that situation, there’s got to be other people who are too afraid to talk about it, or too proud to say ‘I haven’t got that financial means behind me’. ”
Once she started talking to people in the community, Nives found she wasn’t alone.
“A lot of people are finding it difficult to come up with the financial means and just wanting a simple cremation.”
The outpouring of support led her to host regular Breakfast at Nives morning tea events, where locals drop by for a coffee and to chat about prepaid funerals.
The older generation tends to be more private about funeral planning, whereas those in the 50-60 age group were more open to chat about it, Nives said.
“I’ve found my purpose and feel I’m helping so many people.”
Rather than a formal funeral ceremony, Nives is planning to host a living wake to celebrate her life while she’s still here to enjoy the party.
“Don’t do it while I’m gone! I want to be part of it. Let’s have a living wake and you can say your goodbyes to me in the flesh.”Like Nives, you too can reduce the future stress on your family while having a say when it comes to your end of life. Speak to our prepaid team today on 1800 202 901 or get a quote from the Bare Cremation website.
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