For new parents, some of the most terrifying words in the English language are “congenital heart defect”. (Congenital means that one is born with it.) While many other organs such as the kidneys and lungs have a duplicate that would allow a child to survive if one were damaged, we only have one heart. If it fails, there is little chance of survival.

Fortunately, medical technology has advanced exponentially during our lifetime, and conditions which were at one time considered to be fatal can now be treated routinely. However, this is very little consolation to the parents whose precious newborn is turning blue and tenuously clinging to life.

At times like these, amid all of the crucial decisions that need to be made, life’s other responsibilities continue on. If there are other children in the home, arrangements need to be made for their care. The dog needs to be fed. The lawn needs to be mowed. And unfortunately, bills still need to be paid. These are the times which we, as Americans, can be grateful for Social Security Disability Income benefits.

In the not-so-distant past, the process of applying for and receiving disability benefits was long and difficult. For many claimants, it still is; nearly 3 out of every 4 applications submitted are denied. While these safeguards are in place to prevent the fraud which has become so rampant, the unintended consequence has been the difficulty of accessing those funds for those who legitimately need them.

Seeing the need to make disability benefits more accessible to those with some debilitating conditions, the Social Security Administration (SSA) developed the Compassionate Allowance program. This new system created a list of illnesses and conditions (totaling 100 to date) which by their very nature lead to the need for disability benefits. As a result, claims for patients with one of these conditions can be processed in an expedited manner.

If you have been diagnosed with one of these conditions, it is imperative that you begin the application process as soon as possible in order to minimize any potential delays in receiving your benefits.

Pulmonary Atresia – Condition and Symptoms

In very simple terms, the heart is a muscle. It is divided into four sections; the top two are the right and left atrium, while the bottom two are the right and left ventricles. Through a series of exquisitely-timed contractions in different parts of the heart muscle, blood is sent to the lungs to be oxygenated, sent out to the body to deliver the oxygen, and then back to the heart to start the process all over again. Beating an average of 72 times per minute, an adult heart completes this process over 100,000 times daily.

Controlling the direction of the flow of blood within the heart and to the blood vessels is a series of valves, which are small flaps which act like a one-way door allowing blood to flow in one direction but not the other. The valve which controls the flow of blood into the pulmonary artery (which allows blood to go to the lungs to be oxygenated) is cleverly known as the pulmonary valve. In some infants, this valve does not develop properly; this condition is known as pulmonary atresia.

Since Pulmonary Atresia is a congenital malformation, symptoms will usually be present immediately after delivery. The most obvious symptom is a bluish-gray skin tone.

In a child born with Pulmonary Atresia, the blood is unable to return to the lungs in order to receive more oxygen. Left untreated, Pulmonary Atresia can lead to death as the body’s need for oxygen goes unmet.

Because the term Pulmonary Atresia refers to a group of defects of varying levels of severity, depending on the impact to the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. While Pulmonary Atresia can usually be treated with surgery, the level of success of the operation may be dependent upon the impact to the surrounding structures.

Filing for Social Security Disability with Pulmonary Atresia

If you are the parent or guardian of a child born with Pulmonary Atresia, it may be helpful to know that your child automatically qualifies for Social Security Disability benefits, because PA has been determined by the SSA to meet the guidelines for a Compassionate Allowance. In spite of that fact, you would do well to have your case evaluated by a Social Security Disability attorney.

While the approval process has been streamlined for qualifying conditions, it is still of the utmost importance that the application paperwork be complete and accurate. An experienced disability attorney can help you avoid the common mistakes that could result in a delay of your claim.

Your Pulmonary Atresia Social Security Disability case

If your child was born with Pulmonary Atresia, you can find a bit of peace in the knowledge that he or she will definitely qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. You can add to that peace by having your case reviewed by a Social Security Disability lawyer.

Please click here for more information about hiring a disability attorney in your area.

For parents expecting a new baby, the joy of their impending delivery can be tempered by the discovery that their long-awaited newborn is entering the world with a congenital birth defect. There simply are not words that can adequately describe the anguish parents must endure as they watch while their precious child clings to life. At times like these, the normal stressors of life can be magnified until they seem overwhelming. While facing all the difficult decisions that need to be made regarding the child’s treatment, the family’s finances never take a break. Thankfully, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may provide some desperately needed relief.

Until fairly recently, the process of applying for and receiving Social Security Disability benefits was long and burdensome; in many cases, it still is. The vast majority of cases are denied upon the first application’s submission. For those who are not discouraged enough to abandon the process, the next step is to appeal the decision. It is not uncommon for cases to last over a year before they are resolved. In some cases, the claimants do not even survive long enough to receive their benefits.

Recognizing the need to streamline the application and approval process, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has implemented the Compassionate Allowance program. Under this program, a list of conditions which automatically result in the need for disability status was created; this list now totals 100 conditions with the most recent additions. People who have been diagnosed with one of these conditions will be eligible to receive their approval for disability benefits in a greatly expedited manner.

If you or a member of you family has one of these qualifying conditions, it is very important that you begin the application process as soon as possible in order to avoid delays to your case.

Single Ventricle – Condition and Symptoms

The human heart is simultaneously complex and simple. It is fairly simple in its structure, yet remarkably complex in its function. As the heart is being formed in the chest of an unborn child, there is a lot that can go wrong. One of these potential problem areas is the formation of the ventricles, which are the lower two chambers of the heart.

In a normally developed heart, the left ventricle circulates oxygenated blood throughout the body, while the right ventricle circulates blood to the lungs, where it receives more oxygen. When one ventricle or the other is not formed properly and cannot adequately perform its function, the other one must take up the slack.

A child born with a Single Ventricle will typically have a blue/gray skin color, may have difficulty breathing, especially while feeding, and may be unusually drowsy or lethargic. Because the condition is present at birth, the symptoms are apparent immediately upon delivery. Left untreated, the functioning ventricle may eventually fail, leading to death.

Because there are a number of different variations of defects which can result in a single ventricle, with equally varying severity, some Single Ventricle defects are more easily treated surgically. In cases where surgery is not an option, a heart transplant may be the only other alternative to save the baby’s life.

Filing for Social Security Disability with a Single Ventricle

A child born with a Single Ventricle will automatically qualify to receive Social Security Disability benefits, because Single Ventricle defects have been determined by the SSA to meet the criteria for a Compassionate Allowance. The result is that your case can be on the fast track through the approval process. As long as all of the required documentation is in order, you may be able to begin receiving benefits in a matter of weeks.

Despite the fact that this frightening condition meets Compassionate Allowance criteria, it would still be very prudent to have your case reviewed by a Social Security Disability attorney. While you may qualify for a shortened approval process, it is still absolutely crucial that all of the application paperwork is filled out completely and correctly. A seemingly insignificant error or omission is all it takes to cause your claim to be denied, resulting in an aggravating and time-consuming delay. A qualified disability lawyer has the needed experience with both the legal and medical portions of the disability application and approval process and knows how to avoid the mistakes that can cause your case to be denied.

Your Single Ventricle Social Security Disability Case

If you are the parent or guardian of a child who was born with a Single Ventricle, you can be comforted by the knowledge that your child will surely qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. However, don’t let that sense of comfort cause you to take your disability application for granted. Have your case reviewed by an experienced Social Security Disability attorney at your earliest possible convenience.

The growth of a baby is an amazing, miraculous process. Because this growth happens so quickly, and because some of the critical organs like the brain and the heart form so early in the process, there are a lot of things that can go wrong as these structures are coming together. The result can be a congenital birth defect. These defects can be comparatively minor, such as a small joint anomaly, or much more serious, like a brain or heart defect.

For the parents of a child born with a major organ malformation, the rest of the world seems to screech to a halt. Nothing else feels as important as just waiting for your child to be healthy enough to go home, get strong, and grow up.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t wait for us. It goes on. Work needs to be done, and bills need to be paid. At times like these, Social Security Disability benefits can help to lift off at least some of the seemingly crushing weight.

While the process of receiving disability benefits has become incredibly laborious, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has seen fit to open up a relief valve in the form of the Compassionate Allowance program. In doing so, the agency created a sub-group of conditions which, by their very nature, are serious enough to warrant disability status. These conditions are given fast-track status through the disability application process, meaning that benefit payments can begin within a matter of weeks.

If your child was born with one of these qualifying conditions, it is crucial that you begin the process of applying for benefits as soon as you possibly can in order to minimize any delays to your case.

Mitral Valve Atresia – Condition and Symptoms

The heart is made almost entirely of muscle. Internally, it is divided into 4 separate chambers: 2 upper (the left and right atria- plural for atrium), and 2 lower (the left and right ventricles). In the wall that separate these chambers are valves, which are fibrous flaps which act much like a one-way door; they swing open to allow blood to flow through in one direction, but not the other. As the heart pumps blood in several directions at once, pressure from one side of the valve opens it until pressure on the other side is sufficient to close it.

The mitral valve is located between the left ventricle and the left atrium. As freshly-oxygenated blood returns to the heart through the pulmonary veins, it enters the left atrium, passes through the mitral valve into the left ventricle, and is then pumped out to the aorta to be distributed to the rest of the body.

In cases of Mitral Valve Atresia, this valve doesn’t form correctly. Consequently, blood can’t get to the left ventricle, which becomes small and underdeveloped. There can be a great deal of variety in the severity of this defect, depending on the degree of impediment to the development of the related structures.

Symptoms of Mitral Valve Atresia include shortness of breath, feeding problems in infants, rapid breathing, cool, clammy, or blue skin, and poor growth. Symptoms are usually present shortly after birth.

Mitral Valve Atresia can usually be treated with surgery. Patients usually require close monitoring of their heart condition.

Filing for Social Security Disability with Mitral Valve Atresia

If your child has been diagnosed with Mitral Valve Atresia, he or she will automatically qualify to receive Social Security Disability benefits, since this condition is among those which have been determined to meet Compassionate Allowance criteria. As long as all of the necessary documentation is in order, your claim may be approved within a matter of weeks. While Compassionate Allowance status virtually guarantees the approval of your claim, it would be in your best interests to have your case evaluated by a Social Security Disability attorney.

Almost three quarters of all first-time applications for disability benefits are denied. Many of those denials are for claimants who are truly entitled to receive benefits; the problem is that their paperwork is inaccurate or inadequate. The procedural errors can sideline your claim for months, possibly years. A Social Security Disability attorney can help you avoid such delays.

Your Mitral Valve Atresia Social Security Disability Case

If you are the parent of a child born with Mitral Valve Atresia, you already have enough to worry about. By trusting your case to an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer, you can rest easily in the confidence that your case is being handled by a professional who knows how to get results the first time.

Please click here for a free evaluation of your claim by a qualified disability attorney or advocate in your area.

For most of us, the fear of a debilitating illness is rooted in our love for our own independence. We love having the ability and the freedom to go wherever and do whatever we please, whenever we please. Much of that can change when a serious illness strikes. Our ability to go places and perform certain activities may lessen, or vanish altogether. We may have to learn to depend on others to do things for us which we used to do for ourselves. And unfortunately, we may lose the ability to work for a living in order to provide for our financial needs.

Over the last generation or so, the understanding within the medical community regarding the causes and progression of heart disease has grown explosively. We have come to a much deeper understanding about the mechanisms by which the heart muscle begins to lose function or is damaged in some way. Central to most of this understanding has been the impact of lifestyle choices, especially the negative ones, on our heart health.

Statistics have shown that have a social security disability attorney help you with your disability claim significantly increases your chances of receiving benefits. An attorney will help you with filing an application, as well as represent you at your disability hearing if your initial claim has been denied.

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