My son was killed by a reckless driver. I left my job, used my savings, and faced the hidden costs of losing a child.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Michael White, 49, from Boulder, Colorado. In 2023, a driver killed White’s 17-year-old son, Magnus. The essay has been edited for length and clarity, and the details verified.

Eight days after my son Magnus was killed, we held his memorial. By then, I had already learned that dying is a business.

Quickly, my wife and I had to find an attorney, choose between burial and cremation, and decide what would hold our son’s ashes. A police victim advocate handed us a glossy catalog of urns, each costing thousands of dollars. It all felt ridiculous.

Then the financial consequences began to mount…

Read the full article at BUSINESSINSIDER.COM