When your child has been diagnosed with a life threatening, debilitating disease, the last thing you need to worry about is going through a long process with the Social Security Administration. Unfortunately, many parents of disabled children can expect to wait six months or longer before beginning to receive Social Security Disability benefits for their child.
Fortunately, the Social Security Administration does recognize that there are some conditions that are serious enough that they should automatically qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, without the need of further medical review or questioning. These conditions are called Compassionate Allowances, and include several childhood diseases and disorders, along with a variety of terminal cancers, rare diseases, and progressive neurological disorders.
If you or your child has a condition that is included in the SSA’s Compassionate Allowance Listings, the process of applying for Social Security Disability benefits is much shorter. Whereas most claimants will wait a minimum of three months before their claim is even considered, those who qualify for a Compassionate Allowance will have their claim approved in an average of about three weeks, and will begin receiving Social Security Disability benefits right away.
One of the infantile diseases that qualify for a Compassionate Allowance is Maple Syrup Urine Disease. If your child has been diagnosed with Maple Syrup Urine Disease, contact the Social Security Administration or a Social Security Disability lawyer right away and start the process of filing for Social Security Disability benefits.
Maple Syrup Urine Disease – Condition and Symptoms
Maple Syrup Urine Syndrome is a genetic disorder that typically presents in infancy (although some forms of the disease present later in childhood) and causes the child’s body to be unable to metabolize certain types of amino acids correctly. This leads to a build up of these amino acids in the baby’s body fluids and cells.
The disorder is called Maple Syrup Urine Disease because it causes the child’s urine to smell like maple syrup. It also causes other body fluids, such as ear wax and sweat, to have the same sweet odor. Other early symptoms of the disease include vomiting, fatigue and lethargy, seizures, and poor feeding. The seizures in particular can be dangerous, sometimes leading to death or neurological damage.
Maple Syrup Urine Disease often leads to later developmental delays, in large part because the amino acids that build up are toxic to the brain and neurological system. Eating habits should especially be monitored closely, because children with this disease typically have episodes of poor appetite and failing to eat can cause further buildup of the amino acids and neurological damage.
Whether the disease shows in early infancy or later childhood, early diagnosis is critical. If the disease is not treated, it is often fatal and invariably causes neurological damage. Treatment includes a diet free of protein and intravenous treatments that balance the elevated amino acid levels.
It should be noted that Maple Syrup Urine Disease can still be fatal, even with treatment, and that children with the disease are at greater risk during times of emotional and psychological stress or when they have infections. They are also at greater risk if they are not eating properly.
Filing for Social Security Disability with Maple Syrup Urine Disease
If your child has Maple Syrup Urine Disease, you qualify for a Compassionate Allowance. What this means for you is that your child automatically qualifies as being disabled and the claims process should take less than a month as long as all of the documentation is in proper order.
Most Social Security Disability claimants find it helpful to contract a Social Security Disability lawyer to help them file their claim. There is no up front cost, and the payment made on Compassionate Allowance cases is generally minimal. It is based on a percentage (usually 25%) of the back pay that is due to you and, as a result, the back pay on Compassionate Allowance cases generally amounts to less than a month’s benefits.
Whether you file by yourself or have a professional help you with your claim, you will want to make sure that all claim forms are filled out completely and properly. You will also want to make sure that all of the necessary medical documentation is in your file. This should include the clinical exam complete with your doctor’s description of the findings that led to the diagnosis of Maple Syrup Urine Disease. It should also include an amino acid urine test and the lab reports that show elevated amino acid levels, ketosis or acidosis.
Your Maple Syrup Urine Social Security Disability Case
While there’s little doubt that you’ll be approved (and approved quickly), it always pays to have a legal representative who is familiar with the intricacies of the Social Security Administration look at your claim. This ensures that nothing gets held up because of a miscue in the paperwork.
To have a Social Security Disability attorney review your claim, all you need to do is fill out the request for a free evaluation below.
