Texas veteran with ALS left wheelchair for son

Veteran With ALS Stands to 'Tap Out' His Son During His Graduation From Basic Training
Inside Edition
Johanna Li
June 8, 2017

It was a beautiful moment as a Texas veteran with ALS stood in honor of his son’s graduation from basic training, after more than a year of dependence on a wheelchair.

Last week, Frankie Sanchez Jr. of San Antonio graduated from basic training for the Air Force. As tradition, the graduate stood at attention until his father, Frankie Sanchez Sr., got out of his wheelchair to tap him out.

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Newspaper Helps Army Veteran with Their Heart

Newspaper with a Heart came to the aid of a veteran
The Ledger
By Eric Pera
March 11, 2017

The Heart program exists through the generosity of Ledger readers who recognize the need for a fund of last resort for families — neighbors — in crisis, usually because of severe illness, injury or loss of job. The program also assists seniors living on limited incomes.

Janet Williams, at her apartment in Winter Haven, is an Army Veteran with medical issues and loss of job. Pierre DuCharme

WINTER HAVEN — South Korea seemed a million miles away from Janet Williams' world in New York.

It was 1996. She was 25. She'd just received her first deployment as a new Army recruit. Korea was considered a "hardship tour," a place with substandard living conditions compared to the United States. It came with extra pay, but such tours are lengthy.

Her's lasted a year. Turns out Korea wasn't so bad. It was her fellow soldiers she had to fear.

Williams says she was sexually assaulted six months after arriving in Korea. Aside from the humiliation, she received a head injury severe enough to cause migraines. Stress, combined with her injuries, led to PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple sclerosis.

As a result, Williams qualified for medical retirement and disability pay. She said she left the Army after serving approximately 3½ years.
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Orlando Rocks For Veterans 5th Event for Inspirational Heroes

Today is the day to honor Sharona Young, Ret. Chief Petty Officer. 

She grew up in Minneapolis, MN. the youngest of 5 siblings. Joined the Navy when she was 17 years old on July 28, 1999. Sharona's first duty was station aboard the USS Bataan Wasp-class amphibious assault ship see above photo based out of Norfolk, VA. She spent 4 years on sea duty, loved the experience of being out to sea, meeting other people from different backgrounds and traveling the world. In 2003 she decided to leave active duty and join the Naval Reserves to pursue other goals. Upon completion of associates of science, in radiologic technology she got her FL basic x-ray license in 2005. She also completed a bachelors of science, in management in 2008 from the University of Phoenix. In 2012 while on an active duty assignment to US Africa Command in Molesworth, England she started experiencing a lot of problems with her left foot and left leg. She was also struggling with extreme fatigue and weakness that she could not explain. After a cervical MRI showed inflammation in her spinal cord she went through a series of extensive blood work, brain scans, and optical nerve studies. Sharona was eventually diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and medically retired as Chief Petty Officer in June 2014.

Currently she lives in Orlando, FL with her daughter Taylor. As she fights through the challenges of PTSD and coping with this invisible disease she has found relief from the daily stressors by participating in adaptive sports and getting involved in the community to assist fellow veterans with transitioning and recovering. These types of activities allow Sharona to meet with fellow veterans that can relate to her situation and understand some of the challenges she faces everyday. Being able to connect with people that can truly understand some of what she is going through, interacting with people who share their personal stories and how they cope is far more therapeutic than going to any therapy sessions she has attended. Sharona looks forward to finding new opportunities and adventures with fellow veterans going forward with her healing process.

This is the 5th one for Semper Fidelis America and VFW Post 4287 in Orlando

Orlando Rocks SFC. Josh Burnette 2013


Bo Reichenbach 2014


Cpl. Adam Devine 2015


Air Force Master Sgt. Joe Deslauriers 2016

Vietnam Veterans Unaware of Agent Orange Benefits

VA wants all veterans exposed to Agent Orange to apply for benefits
Salisbury Post
By Rick Johnson
August 24, 2015

Many Vietnam veterans aren’t aware of the Agent Orange presumptive diseases. Furthermore, some veterans choose not to go to the VA for their treatment or some veterans have never thought to apply.

Rowan County Veteran Services

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The first U.S. combat troops arrived in Vietnam in March of 1965.

More than 58,000 Americans died in the Vietnam conflict. Many who survived are fighting diseases the U.S. government now recognizes were caused by a very powerful toxic chemical used in the jungle war zone.

Since 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs has recognized a list of diseases, cancers and illnesses caused by the chemical Agent Orange. The VA is now making a renewed push to ensure everyone knows about the benefits available to veterans sickened by Agent Orange.
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List Of Diseases Connected to Agent Orange
AL Amyloidosis
A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs

Chronic B-cell Leukemias
A type of cancer which affects white blood cells

Chloracne (or similar acneform disease)
A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin

Hodgkin's Disease
A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia

Ischemic Heart Disease
A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain

Multiple Myeloma
A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow

Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue

Parkinson's Disease
A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement

Peripheral Neuropathy, Early-Onset
A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure.

Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.

Prostate Cancer
Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men

Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer)

Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus

Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma) A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues

Children with birth defects
VA presumes certain birth defects in children of Vietnam and Korea Veterans are associated with Veterans' qualifying military service.

Veterans with Lou Gehrig's Disease
VA presumes Lou Gehrig's Disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS) diagnosed in all Veterans who had 90 days or more continuous active military service is related to their service, although ALS is not related to Agent Orange exposure.

ALS: Iowa National Guard Staff Sgt. Troy Musser

Living with ALS: Cedar Rapids veteran in the fight of his life
Ice Bucket Challenge, upcoming walk raise money, awareness of incurable disease
The Gazette
By Alison Gowans
Published: September 12 2014

Musser, 32, lives in Cedar Rapids and was diagnosed with ALS almost three years ago, shortly after returning for a tour of duty in Afghanistan. He says he’s thankful for the strangers who have contributed to the ice bucket challenge — the national ALS Association reports it has raised more than $100 million through the fundraiser.

As a member of the Iowa National Guard, Staff Sgt. Troy Musser earned the nickname, “The Machine,” after he broke multiple Guard physical fitness test records.

In two minutes, he could do 123 pushups or 95 situps.

Today he sits in a wheelchair, unable to move his legs and barely able to move his arms. Musser is living with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

It’s a disease that’s risen in the public conscience of late, after a fundraising initiative for the ALS Association went viral. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge filled social media with the clips and inspired millions of people to post videos of themselves dumping freezing water on their heads to raise money and awareness for ALS.

Even as the ice bucket challenge has spread awareness, there are thousands of people like Musser, fighting a terminal disease with no known cause and no known cure.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the baseball player who died from it in 1941, is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It progressively robs people of their ability to walk, talk, swallow and breathe on their own. Eventually it leads to total paralysis and death.
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Widow Fights for Life and VA Benefits (Video)

If you knew Jeffrey Jones in Vietnam contact the station and back up his widow's claim.

Fort Sill Oklahoma, and he was a helicopter pilot.

Widow Fights for Life and VA Benefits (Video)
Arkansas Matters
Jocelyn Tovar
01/01/2014

NFL and players reach $765 million settlement over head injuries

NFL and players reach $765 million settlement over head injuries
NBC News
By Tracy Connor, Staff Writer
august 29, 2013

The National Football League has agreed to pay $765 million to settle lawsuits by former players over head injuries, it was announced Thursday.

The proposed agreement, which was hashed out during court-ordered mediation, will dedicate $675 million to a compensation fund for retired players who can show they have severe cognitive impairment, dementia, Alzheimer's or Lou Gehrig's disease.

The amount each player gets will be determined by doctors and court administrators, and players can apply for more funds if their condition deteriorates over time.

Another $75 million will be spent on medical exams for retired players, and $10 million will be earmarked for a research and education fund.

The settlement covers dozens of lawsuits filed by more than 4,500 ex-players who accused the league of glorifying the violence of the sport while ignoring the health risks and failing to warn players that repeated concussions could cause brain damage or leave them prone to depression and suicide.
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Hope given back to Vietnam veteran after wrong diagnosis after Agent Orange

New finding restores hope for vet misdiagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease
Ocala Star Banner
By Andy Fillmore
Correspondent
Published: Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Vietnam War veteran John Williams feared he would be a casualty of war 43 years after he left the service, which included harrowing times in Vietnam.

Williams, 67, was diagnosed with diabetes in 1985 and later experienced progressive difficulty with movement and muscular control, which he said was misdiagnosed as ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease).

"I had made funeral arrangements and began to get my affairs in order after a Veterans Affairs doctor diagnosed me in October 2010 as having Lou Gehrig's disease," Williams said.

But, after learning about the Veterans Administration's War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Williams received a different diagnosis and, more importantly, a sense of hope.

The center's physician team diagnosed Williams' ailment as inclusion body myositis, which the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health calls a "progressive muscle inflammation accompanied by muscle weakness," which may bring on "falling and tripping" and additional problems in daily activities.
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Veterans’ risk of developing ALS may be higher

Veterans’ risk of developing ALS may be higher
By Robin Erb
The (Detroit) Free Press
Posted : Sunday Aug 5, 2012

A small number of studies have suggested military veterans may be at a higher risk for developing ALS.

It’s enough evidence that, in 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs began setting aside benefits specifically for anyone who had been in the service and developed the disease.

Although benefits vary depending on service time and other factors, ALS was categorized as a “presumptively compensable illness.” In other words, veterans diagnosed with ALS are eligible for monthly disability pay and funds to modify their homes, vehicles to transport them, insurance for dependents and survivors’ benefits.

From January 2003 to September 2011, Veterans Affairs — prompted by anecdotal reports of young veterans returning from the Persian Gulf War and developing ALS — collected information and even blood samples from willing veterans with ALS, said Dr. Eugene Oddone, who ran the registry and is now director of the Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care at the VA Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

The goal was to determine whether ALS really was more prevalent among veterans and, if so, among which veterans and why. The results were mixed.
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Salt Lake Veterans Affairs enlists vets for huge medical research project

Salt Lake Veterans Affairs enlists vets for huge medical research project

BY KRISTEN MOULTON
The Salt Lake Tribune

6 million vets get ongoing care through VA, and a national program aims to get 1 million to help create a huge database of continually updated records.

First published Jan 26 2012
Becky Kemp Carpenter’s dad, a Vietnam War veteran, died two years ago of ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. So when she heard about the Million Veteran Program to help medical research, she — a third-generation veteran — didn’t hesitate to sign up.

"I come from a strong history of service," said Carpenter, who was one of 35 veterans enrolled Thursday during the program’s formal kickoff at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

"By doing a simple blood test and answering questions, we can help not just future vets but people who are around now," said Carpenter, a West Valley City resident who served in the Air Force in the 1990s. "There is so much more we can continue to do to serve our country."

Begun last year in Boston, the Million Veteran Program has so far enlisted more than 20,000 veterans to donate their DNA and release their VA medical records to researchers. The VA in Salt Lake City is one of 40 hospitals participating so far and has enrolled more than 300 veterans since fall; the program hopes to have 50 participating hospitals by summer.
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Head trauma from sports and war may be linked to ALS

Perhaps even Lou Gehrig had the related syndrome, but that will never be known because he was cremated. (AP File July 1939)

Multiple head injuries may spur ALS-type illness

“We believe that these three cases are the tip of the iceberg,’’ said neurosurgeon Robert Cantu, who is a codirector of the BU Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. “We don’t know whether this is linked to the increased incidence of ALS in the military, who are subject to blasts and other head injuries, but we are concerned that it may be."

By Kay Lazar
Globe Staff

New research suggests that athletes who have had multiple head injuries, and possibly others such as military veterans exposed to repetitive brain traumas, may be prone to developing a disabling neurological disease similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

A team of researchers from Boston University School of Medicine and the Veterans Administration Hospital in Bedford said yesterday they have pinpointed evidence of a new disease that mimics ALS in the brains of two former National Football League players previously thought to have died of ALS. They also found the new disease in the brain of a deceased professional boxer who was a military veteran.
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Multiple head injuries may spur ALS type illness

ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease and PTSD found in Gulf War Vets

Review confirms PTSD, other syndromes in Gulf vets
Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON

(Reuters) - Studies confirm that Gulf War veterans suffer disproportionately from post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric illnesses as well as vague symptoms often classified as Gulf War Syndrome, a panel of experts reported on Friday.

The Institute of Medicine panel said better studies are needed to characterize a clear pattern of distress and other symptoms among veterans of the conflicts in the Gulf region that started in 1990 and continue today.

"It is clear that a significant portion of the soldiers deployed to the Gulf War have experienced troubling constellations of symptoms that are difficult to categorize," said Stephen Hauser, chairman of the department of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco.

The committee declined to say that there was any such thing as Gulf War Syndrome but did note many veterans had "multisymptom illness."

"Unfortunately, symptoms that cannot be easily quantified are sometimes incorrectly dismissed as insignificant and receive inadequate attention and funding by the medical and scientific establishment," Hauser added in a statement.

"Veterans who continue to suffer from these symptoms deserve the very best that modern science and medicine can offer to speed the development of effective treatments, cures, and -- we hope -- prevention."

The experts, including epidemiologists who study patterns of disease, neurologists and psychiatrists, found limited but suggestive evidence that Gulf War veterans have higher rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease -- a crippling, progressive and fatal nerve disease.
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Review confirms PTSD, other syndromes in Gulf vets

Vietnam War experience took toll

Area man’s Vietnam War experience took toll
By John Bulger jbulger@journalnet.com

INKOM — Donald Van Der Horn has a baseball cap that notes he is a Vietnam veteran, similar to those many veterans wear to commemorate their service experience.

Only upon close inspection can one read a pin, positioned dead center in the cap, that tips his hand. It reads “Dysfunctional Veteran — Leave Me Alone.”

Military service was common in Van Der Horn’s family, and he jumped willingly, even enthusiastically, into the Vietnam conflict.

“I enlisted because I was proud of this country. I went to war so that war didn’t come to me,” he says. “I was gung ho.”

If a kid leaving divinity school to enlist in the Army seems incongruent, it didn’t seem so to Van Der Horn, who grew up in a conservative Christian world that was distinctly black or white, with no hint of gray.

“It was a demanding existence, because everything was evil,” he says.

Days before he left in 1969, he married his girl, Susan. And then he was off to qualms about defending.

His black-or-white attitude was a tool that the military put to use. His psychological profile indicated that he was “the right guy to do certain things,” he says. Dark things. Unmentionable things.
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Vietnam War experience took toll

VA to apologize for mistaken Lou Gehrig's disease notices

VA to apologize for mistaken Lou Gehrig's disease notices
Story Highlights
Letters sent last week informed 1,864 veterans and survivors of ALS diagnosis

VA confirms some recipients did not have ALS, and is reviewing claims files

VA: "Employees are personally contacting" those who don't have disease

Agency is reviewing notification process to ensure no such error is repeated
By Ashley Hayes
CNN

(CNN) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday it will apologize to veterans who were mistakenly told they'd been diagnosed with a fatal neurological condition.

Letters were sent last week to 1,864 veterans and survivors, the VA said in a written statement. They were supposed to be sent to veterans with ALS -- also known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- to keep them apprised of expanding benefits eligibility.

"According to the records of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), you have a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)," said the letter, according to the National Gulf War Resource Center. "This letter tells you about VA disability compensation benefits that may be available to you."

But some who received the letters, like Brent Casey, do not have ALS. Casey, a disabled Army veteran from the first Gulf War, told CNN that when he received the letter, he was "just completely beside myself. Just floored. Went into a complete and total meltdown. I couldn't speak, couldn't -- I guess I was, truthfully, speechless."

After hearing from veterans who received the letter but do not have ALS, the VA immediately began reviewing individual claims files for all the recipients to determine who received the letter by mistake, agency spokeswoman Katie Roberts said in the statement. "VA employees are personally contacting these individuals to ensure they understand the letter should not be confused with a medical diagnosis of ALS, explain why they mistakenly received the letter and express VA's sincere apologies for the distress caused by this unfortunate and regrettable error."
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/26/veterans.letters.disease/index.html

Veteran with ALS fights VA for benefits

If you are heartless enough to look at the claims tied up, the mountain of backlogged claims, and think for a second this is right, then I really feel sorry for you. What would it be like if you happen to be a civilian, hurt on the job and then have to wait over a year for a single check to pay your bills? What would it be like if Workman's Comp told you they were just too busy with other claims for you? Could you tell your mortgage company they just have to wait like you do?

Now, think about going to work for the nation in the military, training everyday for the day you would risk your life for the rest of the nation. What if you thought that it would be worth it if you were wounded the same nation would make sure you had what you needed to pay your bills and take care of your wounds? Then how would it feel when they didn't? You are left with whatever wound you carry, whatever illness caused by service that will stay with you the rest of your life plus bills you can no longer pay because of it.

Not great now is it? This is happening all over the country everyday while veterans wait to be taken care of, wait for claims to be approved and wait to be able to pay bills. One more thought. Did they make us wait when we said they needed to risk those lives and go off to war? The really sick part of all of this is that most of them would tell you they'd do it all over again even knowing how badly they had to suffer for doing it!

You've read about the false outrage over end of life decisions veterans are able to make. Well, here's one of the veterans that need the benefits he earned to help him make his days as comfortable as possible. Read this and then send it onto the people sending you the false outrage of the week about death book.

Veteran with ALS fights VA for benefits

05:40 PM EDT on Monday, August 24, 2009

By RAD BERKY / NewsChannel 36
E-mail Rad: RBerky@WCNC.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A U.S. Army veteran who is fighting for his life is also fighting the Department of Veterans Affairs for his benefits.

"I'm frustrated with the VA," said Todd Overgaard at a news conference in Charlotte.

Overgaard decided to go public with his story, hoping coverage would force the VA to act.

Overgaard is 45 years old and has ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease, a disease for which there is no cure. He has been in a back-and-forth struggle with the VA to get $72,000 for end-of-life benefits that he says he is entitled to in order to make handicapped upgrades to his home in Hendersonville.

The improvements his family says he needs include a special bathroom and a lift. He says his requests have been delayed and denied after years of trying.

His wife Cindy said, "The frustration is having to fight for something you know by law they are entitled to."

When he was in the Army, Overgaard was a chemical weapons instructor. Since he left the service, the military now recognizes ALS as a service-related disease, making vets eligible for benefits.
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Veteran with ALS fights VA for benefits

1,200 veterans wrongly told they got fatal disease

1,200 veterans wrongly told they got fatal disease
By P.J. DICKERSCHEID (AP)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Former Air Force Reservist Gale Reid received a letter from the Veterans Affairs Department that told her she had Lou Gehrig's disease, and she immediately put herself through a battery of painful, expensive tests. Five days later, the VA said its "diagnosis" was a mistake.

The Montgomery, Ala., resident was among at least 1,200 veterans who received a letter about disability benefits for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, even though they hadn't been diagnosed with the illness, according to the National Gulf War Resource Center. Veterans were initially suspicious of the letters, but still went through the agony not knowing exactly whether they had the fatal disease, which typically kills people within five years.

At least 2,500 letters informing veterans of disability benefits for ALS were sent out, and of those, some 1,200 were a mistake, according to the National Gulf War Resource Center. The wrongly sent letters were supposed to inform veterans of an undiagnosed neurological disorder, according to the Gulf War veterans group, which provides information, support and referrals about illnesses to veterans.

No one knows for sure exactly how many letters were mailed to veterans treated at VA hospitals and how many were a mistake. VA spokeswoman Katie Roberts didn't return telephone messages or an e-mail Monday.

Former Army Sgt. Samuel Hargrove cried Sunday after opening his letter.

"I can't even describe the intensity of my feelings," said the father of two from Henderson, N.C. "With so many health issues that I already have, I didn't know how to approach my family with the news."

So, at first, he didn't. Hargrove later discovered the mistake after talking with fellow veterans in the resource center and online, and he became angry.
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1200 veterans wrongly told they got fatal disease

ALS-Lou Gehrig's veterans to receive VA benefits now

Recent VA News Releases

To view and download VA news release, please visit the following
Internet address:
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel


VA Secretary Establishes ALS as a Presumptive Compensable Illness
Cites Association between Military Service and Later Development of ALS

WASHINGTON (Sept. 23, 2008) - Veterans with amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS) may receive badly-needed support for themselves and
their families after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced
today that ALS will become a presumptively compensable illness for all
veterans with 90 days or more of continuously active service in the
military.

"Veterans are developing ALS in rates higher than the general
population, and it was appropriate to take action," Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake said.

Secretary Peake based his decision primarily on a November 2006 report
by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the
association between active-duty service and ALS.

"We are extremely grateful to Secretary Peake, Congressman Henry Brown
and Senator Lindsey Graham for standing on the side of veterans with ALS
across the country," said Gary Leo, president and CEO of The ALS
Association. "Thanks to their leadership, veterans with ALS will receive
the benefits and care they need, when they need them. Thanks to their
efforts, no veteran with ALS will ever be left behind."

The report, titled Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Veterans: Review of
the Scientific Literature, analyzed numerous previous studies on the
issue and concluded that "there is limited and suggestive evidence of an
association between military service and later development of ALS."

"ALS is a disease that progresses rapidly, once it is diagnosed," the
Secretary explained. "There simply isn't time to develop the evidence
needed to support compensation claims before many veterans become
seriously ill. My decision will make those claims much easier to
process, and for them and their families to receive the compensation
they have earned through their service to our nation."

ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neuromuscular disease that
affects about 20,000 to 30,000 people of all races and ethnicities in
the United States, is often relentlessly progressive, and is almost
always fatal.

ALS causes degeneration of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that
leads to muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, and spontaneous muscle
activity. Currently, the cause of ALS is unknown, and there is no
effective treatment.

The new interim final regulation applies to all applications for
benefits received by VA on or after September 23, 2008, or that are
pending before VA, the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims, or the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on
that date.

VA will work to identify and contact veterans with ALS, including those
whose claims for ALS were previously denied, through direct mailings and
other outreach programs.

To view the entire regulation published in the Federal Register today,
go to: www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2008-21998_PI.pdf. For
more information on VA's disability compensation program, go to
www.va.gov or contact 1-800-827-1000.



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