For those of us who are parents, our children are our greatest joy. If you ask any parent what the defining moment of their life was, the overwhelming majority will include the birth of their children somewhere in their response. Because this bond between parent and child is so strong, having a child born with a serious medical condition is one of the most difficult situations any parent can face.
For parents who find themselves in this unenviable position, the health of their child becomes the focus of their lives. Unfortunately, the rest of the world doesn’t follow suit; job responsibilities may continue, financial obligations need to be met, and bills continue to accumulate.
When facing troubling situations like this, it is comforting to know that Social Security Disability benefits can provide a measure of relief from some of the financial burdens associated with having a loved one who is facing a medical crisis. While the Social Security Administration (SSA) is currently facing an unprecedented volume of disability claims and a subsequent backlog of cases, the agency has taken measures to speed up the approval process for some medical conditions.
As a result, the SSA implemented the Compassionate Allowance program. Conditions which qualify for a Compassionate Allowance are inherently serious enough to inevitably lead to the need for disability benefits. For these conditions, the process of gaining approval for disability status has been greatly abbreviated, bringing financial relief to those whose needs are the most pressing.
One of the conditions that qualify for a compassionate allowance is Eisenmenger Syndrome.If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with Eisenmenger Syndrome., it is very important for you to begin the disability application process right away to avoid unnecessary delays to your disability payments.
Eisenmenger Syndrome – Condition and Symptoms
Beating within our chests more than 100,000 times every day, the heart is a multitasking organ. Through a series of finely-timed muscular contractions, oxygenated blood is sent throughout the body and oxygen-poor blood is circulated to the lungs and then back to the heart, where the circulation to the body continues.
In a normally developed heart, the two lower chambers (called the ventricles) are separated by a muscular wall (called the septum) which prevents oxygenated blood from mixing with the blood being sent to the lungs for more oxygen. In some children, this septum doesn’t develop properly, resulting in a ventricular septal defect, or VSD. This VSD allows freshly oxygenated blood to flow back to the lungs rather than flowing to the rest of the body to deliver its oxygen.
As time passes, this additional blood flow within the lungs damages the blood vessels in the lungs, resulting in high blood pressure in the lungs, or pulmonary hypertension. This additional pressure creates a back-up of blood, causing oxygen-depleted blood to be re-circulated throughout the body. The resulting condition is called Eisenmenger Syndrome.
The symptoms of Eisenmenger Syndrome usually appear before adolescence, but may not appear until early adulthood. These symptoms may include:
- Abnormal Heart Rhythms
- Chest Pain
- Coughing up blood
- Dizziness or fainting
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling in the joints
- Enlarged, club-like appearance of fingers and toes
In general terms, treatment for Eisenmenger Syndrome is geared toward controlling the symptoms through medication and preventing complications. In some children, heart and lung transplantation may or may not be an option. Depending on the severity of the condition, life expectancy is usually between 20 and 50 years.
Filing for Social Security Disability with Eisenmenger Syndrome
A child diagnosed with Eisenmenger Syndrome will automatically qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, because this condition has been identified by the SSA as one which qualifies for Compassionate Allowance status. With all of the necessary documents present and complete, you can expect your case to be approved within a matter of weeks. Although approval for benefits is virtually assured, your safest approach would be to have your case reviewed by a qualified Social Security Disability attorney.
While the application and approval process may seem pretty simple, it is important to remember that it is essentially a legal proceeding. In addition, the accompanying documents contain a great deal of information regarding the claimant’s medical condition. A Social Security Disability attorney is trained and experienced with both the legal and medical aspects of the application process, and can provide the correct documentation the first time, rather than getting stuck in a lengthy appeal.
Your Eisenmenger Syndrome Social Security Disability Case
If your child has been diagnosed with Eisenmenger Syndrome, you already have enough to worry about. The value of knowing that your claim is being handled by a qualified disability lawyer simply cannot be overstated. By trusting your claim to a professional, you can focus on taking care of your family.
Please click here to have your case evaluated by a Social Security Disability lawyer in your area.
