In September, Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers forward and star of the reality show “Khloé and Lamar,” will serve as the national spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month.
The nonprofit
Odom was raised in Queens, N.Y., by his mother, Cathy, who earned a modest income working as a corrections officer. She sent him to Catholic school, due to concerns about the public schools in their South Jamaican neighborhood, says the LIFE Foundation. When Odom was 12, his mother died of colon cancer, but, because she had life insurance, Odom was able to continue his Catholic school education.
When Odom graduated high school, life insurance again made a difference in his life. He felt it would be best for his career if he did not pursue a professional career right away. Because he and his grandmother, who raised him through high school, were financially stable, Odom did not need to immediately earn a paycheck. He was able to attend college for several years prior to playing professional basketball.
"I'm sure my mom didn't think she would die at age 35, but that didn't stop her from doing the responsible thing and buying life insurance," says Odom. "Her wise decision gave me the foundation to move on in my life. When I began my pro career, one of the first things I did was buy life insurance to make sure that my loved ones would always be taken care of. I'm proud to be working with the LIFE Foundation to share my story and to hopefully get more Americans to do the kind of smart planning that my mom did."
Beginning in August, Odom's story will be broadcasted nationally in TV and radio public service announcements (PSAs). The PSAs also will be available on LIFE's website,
