Any diagnosis of a serious chronic or acute illness carries with it a certain amount of stress. Suddenly given no choice but to face the stark reality of our own mortality, all of the minor irritations of life are suddenly magnified. Even the usual day-to-day responsibilities can at times feel insurmountable, not just for the patient but for the rest of the family as well. While there’s really no way to totally eliminate the inherent stress that goes along with a major illness, there are ways it can be minimized.

Even under ideal circumstances, parenting can sometimes be a difficult and stressful job. These stressors can be exponentially compounded when a child is diagnosed with a chronic medical condition. Trying to juggle the child’s medical needs along with earning a living, providing care for other children in the home, and finding time for adequate self-care can sometimes seem like an overwhelming mountain to climb. Fortunately, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may help provide some financial relief.

Learning you have been diagnosed with a rare or serious disorder is a very frightening experience. You’re no doubt confused about what your next steps should be. You may have to quit your job, which could lead to the bills piling up. Fortunately, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits can provide some financial relief.

If you are diagnosed with a rare or serious disorder, it is often a time of confusion and fear. If it is a rare disorder that you’ve never heard of, you might be wondering how the disease will progress and in what specific ways it will affect your life as you know it. There are some disorders that are so severe you are unable to continue working and living as you always have. While you are unable to work, the bills can start to pile up. Fortunately, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) maybe able to provide some financial relief.

Generally, the disability application process can take anywhere from six months to two year. Some disabling conditions are so severe that they necessitate a quicker application process. In response to this, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has created a list of diseases, called Compassionate Allowances, that qualify for an expedited application process. The Compassionate Allowances are a list of rare and severe disorders that automatically qualify a person afflicted for disability benefits.

One of the conditions that qualify as a compassionate allowance is Primary Progressive Aphasia.

Primary Progressive Aphasia – Condition and Symptoms

Aphasia is the loss of ability to comprehend or express spoken language. Primary Progressive Aphasia is a rare type of dementia that normally presents itself before the age of 65 and becomes worse as time goes by. It is characterized by a slow decline of speech over a two-year period. Language and its meanings and intricacies are affected first and progressively deteriorate into a complete amnesia of the spoken word. It is not known what causes the disorder, though recent studies show sufferers have a specific combination of prion gene variants.

Patients with Primary Progressive Aphasia will be unable to follow simple instructions without visual cues, will be unable to formulate sentences and cannot produce one or two word phrases spontaneously. They will have difficulty naming objects and tend to misuse verb tenses, pronouns and mix up word endings. Some will find written language somewhat easier to understand and deal with than spoken language. As Primary Progressive Aphasia continues throughout life, the person may start to lose other mental capabilities. Depression often accompanies this disorder.

There is currently no cure or treatment to stop or slow the progression of Primary Progressive Aphasia. Many that are afflicted become completely mute within a decade of being diagnosed, and may eventually require help with day-to-day care.

Filing for Social Security Disability with Primary Progressive Aphasia

If your loved one has been diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia you can feel comforted knowing he or she will automatically qualify for disability benefits. This will assist you with financial issues and will ensure they receive the best supportive care possible. When you apply for benefits under the Compassionate Allowances act you will be able to go through an expedited process. This is of great importance for a disease that has a rapid progression; you can feel safe knowing there will be funds available for medical expenses.

When applying for benefits with Primary Progressive Aphasia there is certain medical documentation that needs to be submitted. This should include a medical history, neurological findings, neuro-imaging, and a speech/language assessment. A speech/language assessment can determine to what extent the aphasia has progressed. Specifically, results must show a Total Language standard score that is at least two and a half standard deviations below the average on an approved comprehensive language test, or an Aphasia Quotient in the “severe” range. If speech/language assessments are not readily available, a statement describing the symptoms and history may be permitted.

Your Primary Progressive Aphasia Social Security Disability Case

Even though you can rest assured that your loved one will receive disability benefits if he or she has been diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia, it is still a good idea to contact a Social Security disability attorney. A disability lawyer is experienced in the disability application process and can help you make sure everything is in order with your claim. The outcome of a case can sometimes depend on having paperwork in the proper order and submitting the correct medical documentation. A Social Security disability lawyer can ensure your claim is not delayed or denied due to clerical errors.

Receiving any type of cancer diagnosis can stir up a host of emotions, most of them negative. The fear of the potentially devastating side-effects of treatment, the loss of independence, fear of disfigurement and the uncertainty of the impact on the rest of the family can all pile up to create a seemingly insurmountable mountain of anxiety. On top of it all, extensive treatment may also necessitate extended periods of time away from work.

The most frightening experience any parent can face is to hear that one of their children has been born with a serious illness. Being a parent is rarely an easy task even under ideal circumstances, but the stress can be exponentially increased when a child is chronically ill. To make matters even worse, the bills never seem to stop coming. In fact, they tend to get worse due to additional child care expenses, increased travel costs, lost time at work, and so on. It all just gets to be too much. While nothing can take away the pain of knowing that your child is gravely ill, Social Security disability benefits can help to soften the blow by helping to provide some much-needed financial relief.

In the past, obtaining Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits was an extremely time-consuming and frustrating process. One could plan on the first attempt being denied in seven out of ten cases, necessitating entrance into an agonizingly slow cycle of appealing the decision, waiting for another hearing, and then awaiting another decision that may need to be appealed again, etc. It is not difficult to understand why some applicants simply gave up or even died before they received the benefits they had coming.

Thankfully, the Social Security Administration (SSA) recognized that some illnesses by the nature of their seriousness invariably led to disability status. Therefore, they instituted a policy that dramatically streamlined the approval process, reducing the time between application and receipt of benefits. What used to take months and sometimes years to accomplish could now be done in a matter of weeks under what is known as the Compassionate Allowance program.

Walker Warburg Syndrome is one of the conditions that qualifies for a compassionate allowance. You need to be aware of the fact that time is of the essence. As soon as you or your child has been diagnosed with one of these illnesses, it is important to start the disability application process quickly to avoid any delay in receiving benefits.

Walker Warburg Syndrome - Condition and Symptoms

Walker Warburg Syndrome is a rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy that is associated with eye and brain abnormalities. The term “muscular dystrophy” encompasses approximately thirty different disorders that affect the strength and tone of various voluntary muscles throughout the body; each one has its own unique severity pattern, age of onset and inheritance profile. Walker Warburg syndrome is considered to be among the more serious forms of muscular dystrophy.

Symptoms of Walker Warburg Syndrome can include an unusually smooth brain surface, low muscle tone, muscle weakness, occasional seizures, eye abnormalities (such as conjunctivitis, retinal detachment, or cataracts) which lead to blindness, cleft lip and/or palate, encephalocele (an opening in the skull which does not close), and developmental delay with mental retardation.

Walker Warburg Syndrome is incurable. Most treatment is limited to the management of symptoms. Most children born with Walker Warburg Syndrome do not live beyond their third birthday.

Filing for Social Security Disability with Walker Warburg Syndrome

A child born with Walker Warburg Syndrome invariably qualifies for Social Security disability benefits, because it is among the illnesses that have been listed as a compassionate allowance. What this means for you is that you can plan on your case being expedited so that your wait time for benefits will be significantly shortened. As long as you have the required documents prior to the filing of your application, you can count on receiving approval for your disability status in as little as three weeks.

While it may be tempting to try to handle the application process yourself, it would be a very good idea for you to speak with a Social Security disability lawyer. A disability lawyer will be able to make sure that everything is in order before you apply, instead of sending it in and simply hoping for the best.

When you file for disability for a child with Walker Warburg Syndrome, please be aware that you may need to provide a sample for genetic testing in order to definitively diagnose the disease.

Your Walker Warburg Syndrome Social Security Disability Case

If your child has been diagnosed with Walker Warburg Syndrome, you can be sure that some help is on the way in the form of Social Security disability benefits. In spite of the fact that your approval appears to be a sure thing, you would still be very wise to enlist the services of a Social Security disability lawyer. That way, you can rest easy in the knowledge that your application has been completed by somebody who knows the process well and has successfully completed it numerous times.

Knowing that your child has a serious illness is one of the most heart-wrenching experiences a parent can have. The feeling of helplessness as the child you brought into this world suffers is incredibly stressful. Through it all, a parent has to remain strong for his or her spouse, provide care for the other children in the home, and try to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Further compounding the stressfulness is the fact that the bills just keep rolling in, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the home’s newest little occupant is dreadfully ill. While nothing can take away the heartache that goes along with having a chronically ill child, it may provide some relief to know that Social Security disability benefits can help to reduce some of the associated financial burden.

In years past, the process of applying for and receiving Social Security disability benefits was long, cumbersome and complicated. More often than not, cases were denied on the initial attempt. While there is an appeal mechanism in place, it moves remarkably slowly due to the sheer volume of cases waiting to be heard. The unfortunate side-effect has been that benefits for those who genuinely needed them were delayed, sometimes for years. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has seen fit to institute the Compassionate Allowance program. Through this program, the SSA has identified 88 illnesses (to date) which automatically qualify for disability benefits. As a result, the process of applying for benefits for these illnesses has been significantly streamlined, which in turn means that families can more quickly begin receiving the benefits they need.

If you or a member of your family has been diagnosed with one of these illnesses, it is very important that you start the application process soon so that any delays in receiving your benefits can be minimized.

Wolman Disease- Condition and Symptoms

Wolman Disease is a rare genetic disorder caused by the deficiency of an enzyme called lysosomal acid lipase, or LAL. This enzyme is used by the body to break down certain fats inside the cells. Without this enzyme, fats begin to accumulate in the liver and other parts of the body. Wolman Disease is very rare; statistics indicate that it occurs in 1 of approximately 500,000 live births.

Symptoms of Wolman Disease usually appear within the first few weeks of life. They may include loose, fatty stools, feeding problems with frequent, forceful vomiting, swelling of the abdomen, enlargement of the liver, failure to gain weight or possibly weight loss. As the disease continues to get worse, jaundice may develop and calcifications on the adrenal glands may be detectable via X-ray.

Presently, treatment for Wolman Disease is mainly directed at managing symptoms and may include drugs to help with adrenal gland production as well as a feeding tube. Bone marrow transplants have been attempted and have demonstrated some success in helping to reduce symptoms, but there remain serious questions about long-term safety and side-effects.

Filing for Social Security Disability with Wolman Disease

A child who has been diagnosed with Wolman Disease is automatically a candidate for Social Security disability benefits, because Wolman Disease is among the illnesses recognized by the SSA as eligible under compassionate allowance guidelines. If there is any good news at all to be found in such a diagnosis, it is that your wait for disability benefits will be dramatically reduced. As long as you have provided all of the required documentation, your benefits may very well be on their way to you within weeks.

Of course, the process of chasing down all of that paperwork can be pretty stressful. In order to be sure that the process runs smoothly, it is strongly suggested that you consult with a Social Security disability lawyer. Your disability lawyer will take the time to review your application and be sure you have everything you need to get the job done right the first time, rather than getting stuck in the seemingly endless appeal process. If your child is sick, you likely already have more than enough on your plate. Leave the paperwork to an experienced professional so that you can focus on helping your child.

Your Wolman Disease Social Security Disability Case

If a member of your family has been given a diagnosis of Wolman Disease, you can be comforted in the knowledge that he or she is on the inside track to receiving benefits from the SSA. In spite of that assurance, you’ll want to leave the particulars to someone who is very familiar with the process. In doing so, you will significantly reduce the possibility that a seemingly tiny mistake or omission will delay your case and your benefits.

In an effort to expedite the claims and appeals process for people who have conditions which are always disabling or fatal, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has developed a set of listings called Compassionate Allowances. These listings include 88 conditions which always qualify for disability benefits.

Because these conditions always qualify, there is no real need for applicants to go through the elongated application process most claimants are subjected to. Using this system, the SSA has been able to reduce the average time to approve claims from almost a year to less than a month for those who have qualifying compassionate allowance claims.

If you qualify for a compassionate allowance, you don’t need to do anything extra on your claim other than make sure that all of the appropriate medical documentation is included. The SSA will flag your claim based on the diagnosis listed on your application and will approve you for a compassionate allowance if your medical documentation bears out the fact that you have a qualifying condition.

This program was initiated because many claimants with serious, terminal conditions may not have a year to wait for their benefits. Social Security disability benefits are intended to help the person with the disability, and they simply don’t achieve their purpose if they aren’t paid out until after you have passed away (although your dependents could still receive the benefits which were due to you).

Pleural Mesothelioma – Condition and Symptoms

Pleural Mesothelioma is one of the 88 conditions which qualifies for a Compassionate Allowance. It is a rare form of cancer which is most often associated with exposure to asbestos (though at least 20% of pleural mesothelioma patients have no known exposure). Men are at a higher risk than women, and risk increases with age for both genders. Often, the disease does not present itself for 30 or more years after initial exposure to asbestos.

The initial symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are chest pain and shortness of breath. Both are caused by the build up of fluid in the pleura (the thin tissue which wraps around your lungs and chest cavity). Unfortunately, it often takes a considerable time to rule out other causes of the symptoms before pleural mesothelioma is suspected. Those who are aware of exposure to asbestos would do well to be screened periodically for mesothelioma as early detection can improve the prognosis.

A variety of treatments are used for pleural mesothelioma, depending on where the tumor is, how large the tumor is, the extent of fluid in the chest cavity, what stage the cancer is in, and the patient’s health and age. Some of the more common options include radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, or some combination of these three. Even when the disease is caught early, the prognosis is generally poor, though it is considerably better than after the cancer has spread (metastasized).

Filing for Social Security Disability with Pleural Mesothelioma

If you have been diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma, you qualify for a compassionate allowance. As long as everything in your claim and medical file are in order, the adjudicators should not need any further information to approve your claim, and you should start receiving Social Security disability benefits within a month of your filing date.

If, for any reason, your claim is not approved within a month, you should immediately contact the SSA and a Social Security disability lawyer. There’s no need for you to spend your time on this. A professional Social Security disability lawyer can get to the bottom of what’s holding your claim up and get it taken care of quickly and efficiently so you can concentrate on taking care of yourself and surviving.

Generally, the only medical documentation that is absolutely needed to qualify you for a compassionate allowance is the results of the biopsy which your doctor used to diagnose pleural mesothelioma. In most cases, your Social Security disability claim will be an open and shut case, and you will begin receiving benefits right away.

Your Pleural Mesothelioma Social Security Disability Case

Many people find that it gives them added peace of mind to have a Social Security disability lawyer handle their claim right from the beginning. Even though the end result of your claim isn’t in question, allowing a professional to handle the paperwork ensures that your claim will end up being flagged for a compassionate allowance.

A terminal or debilitating diagnosis is never good news. Knowing that you won’t be able to continue working as you had before can leave you with many questions and concerns.

When you have a debilitating or terminal condition which is expected to last a year or longer or result in your death, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits. You should notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) of your intent to file immediately, even if you don’t plan on filing until later. Notifying the SSA establishes a protected filing date, and can affect the amount of back pay you are entitled to when you are approved for benefits.

In most cases, the sooner you start the claims process for Social Security disability benefits, the better. Most cases take six months or more before they are approved, and the process often involves several appeals. It is not uncommon for a claim which is ultimately approved to last 18 months or more.

Of course, if you have a terminal diagnosis, you may not have 18 months, or even 6 months to wrestle with the SSA. Fortunately, the SSA recognizes this, and has taken steps to make sure that people with obviously debilitating or terminal conditions called compassionate allowances are given special consideration. The SSA, as of this writing, recognizes 88 distinct conditions which always qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

You don’t need to do anything special to qualify if you have one of the listed conditions. The SSA’s system is designed to pick out applicants who qualify for a compassionate allowance by keywords which are included in the diagnosis and medical findings. If you have a condition which qualifies and you have not received an approval within three weeks of application, you should contact the SSA (and in most cases, a Social Security disability lawyer as well).

Peritoneal Mesothelioma – Condition and Symptoms

A rare cancer that affects the lining of the abdomen, Peritoneal Mesothelioma is generally caused by exposure to asbestos. It is considered to always be fatal, generally within a year of diagnosis. This form of cancer is most common among people who have had prolonged exposure to asbestos in the workplace, though it may also affect family members, or those who have had less frequent exposure to asbestos.

The cancer often does not present itself until several years after exposure to asbestos has ceased. Those who have ever had prolonged exposure to asbestos would be well advised to be screened regularly for Peritoneal Mesothelioma, as early diagnosis offers the only real hope of surviving this condition.

Even when the disease is detected early, it is usually fatal. Radical resection is attempted in cases where the cancer has been caught early enough for the treatment to be viable. One of the major problems associated with peritoneal mesothelioma is that its symptoms often mimic the symptoms of other, less serious conditions. Common symptoms include abdominal swelling, weight loss, abdominal pain, fluid buildup in the abdomen, abnormal blood clotting, anemia, bowel obstruction, and fever.

Unless the cancer is caught before it metastasizes (spreads), treatment is generally limited to relieving pain and treating symptoms in order to improve the quality of life. Chemotherapy is often used to treat the symptoms, but is not generally considered effective in actually eliminating the disease or improving survivability.

Filing for Social Security Disability with Peritoneal Mesothelioma

If you have been diagnosed with Peritoneal Mesothelioma, you qualify for Social Security disability benefits through the Compassionate Allowances program. In most cases, your diagnosis will cause Social Security adjudicators to flag your claim for automatic approval and you will begin receiving Social Security disability benefits within a month of your initial application.

If you have any doubts concerning your ability to accurately fill out all of the claims paperwork, or would like a professional to make sure that all of the necessary medical documentation is in order and is presented in such a way that your claim will receive a compassionate allowance, you should consult a Social Security disability lawyer. At the very least, you will want to make sure that your medical files include a clear diagnosis of mesothelioma and the results of the biopsy which was used in making this determination.

Your Peritoneal Mesothelioma Social Security Disability Case

If you have been diagnosed with Peritoneal Mesothelioma, there is no question whatsoever regarding whether you qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Furthermore, because you qualify for a compassionate allowance, you should start receiving your benefits very soon (generally less than a month after your claim has been filed).

If you have any questions or problems regarding your Social Security disability claim, consider contacting a Social Security disability lawyer. An initial consultation is free, and any the attorney is not paid unless your disability claim is successful.

Finding out that your long-awaited new baby has a rare disease or disorder is probably the most frightening thing that can happen to a parent. The stress of knowing that your new child is suffering along with the frustration of not knowing how to help can be overwhelming. When the accompanying potential financial struggles are added in, suddenly the world feels as though it is collapsing around you.