By admin 
DUNN, N.C. (WNCN) — A Dunn mother already grieving the loss of her 7-year-old son said she was dealt another devastating blow after learning the life insurance policy she believed would help pay for his funeral never existed.
Read more Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs agree on 5-year extension that could top $250M, AP source says
Gloria Parker’s son, Cashmere Elijah Parker, died in an apartment fire on the Fourth of July. Dunn police have accused 35-year-old Brittany Armstrong of accidentally starting the fire by setting off aerial fireworks, which are illegal in North Carolina.
In the days after Cashmere’s death, Parker said she contacted American-Amicable Life Insurance, expecting to file a claim on what she believed was a $25,000 policy she had been paying for every month.
Instead, she said she learned there was no policy.
Parker said an insurance representative had been coming to her home each month to collect cash payments for the policy. She believes the representative kept the money instead of submitting the payments to the company.
“When you let death hit and then you call and then you find out that your child is not covered, it’s painful,” Parker said.
Parker shared that she has also been making payments for life insurance policies covering herself and two of her grandchildren.
Read more Rory McIlroy part of 3-way tie for the lead at Scottish Open as Scheffler misses the cut
Her daughter filed a complaint with American-Amicable Life Insurance. According to the family, the company told them the representative should never have accepted cash payments. They said policy payments were supposed to be made through automatic bank draft or by check.
The discovery has left Parker scrambling to pay for her son’s funeral while also coping with the loss of her home. Her husband remains hospitalized, recovering from injuries he suffered in the fire.
“So, he got me. I’m pretty sure he got some other ones too,” Parker said.
The community has rallied around the family. A GoFundMe has been created to help fund funeral expenses. The Pizza Inn in Dunn is also holding a fundraiser on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with 10 percent of sales benefiting the Parker family.
Cashmere’s funeral is scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m.
CBS 17 reached out to American-Amicable Life Insurance for comment. As of publication, the company had not responded.
Read more Cardinals agree to an 8-year, $112.5M extension with JJ Wetherholt, AP source says