Did you know that May is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Awareness Month, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease?
Sadly, this neurodegenerative disorder often shortens the lives of victims, as it progressively causes issues with upper and lower motor neurons, which gradually degenerate, resulting in the loss of motor skills and functionality. Tragically, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people with ALS die within 2-5 years of a diagnosis.
In 2014, campaigns to raise awareness for ALS reached an apex when people began to upload videos to their social media accounts of themselves competing in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which drove a tremendous amount of money to the ALS Association. In fact, due to the Ice Bucket Challenge sensation, more people searched for information about ALS online last year than they did during the previous decade, according to the association. It is estimated that the viral campaign raised more than $115 million in donations.
This year, the organization is asking people to continue to raise money and awareness. For more information about how you can help, you can visit the ALS Association’s website by clicking here. “The fight against this disease didn’t start and end last summer, and we’re counting on people to get reengaged in the fight against ALS this May,” said Barbara J. Newhouse, with the organization.
ALS and SSDI. What Do I Need to Know?
If you or a loved one suffers from ALS, you should know that the disorder falls on the Social Security Administration’s Compassionate Allowances list, which allows for an expedited process when obtaining Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
Many people with ALS are unable to work and need income to meet their basic needs. In order to obtain SSDI benefits, a person must show that his or her condition is expected to last for longer than a year and/or could result in death.
If you need assistance with the SSDI application process and you or your loved one has ALS, speak to our Tulsa disability lawyers.
Troutman & Troutman, P.C. – Tulsa Social Security disability lawyers
