(Air Force Times) Backtalk: VA is finally taking steps to care for veterans with Lou Gehrig’s

[unhappycamper]

VA is finally taking steps to care for veterans with Lou Gehrig’s
By Robert F. Dorr

When former Airman 1st Class William T. Randol, 68, died last spring near Portland, Ore., the nation had forgotten that he once wore its uniform.

“We submitted a request to the Department of Veterans Affairs for help,” said Randol’s widow, PollyAnna. “It was never responded to.”

~snip~

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a relentless degenerative disorder that shuts down the body, part by part. It can begin with something as unremarkable as a slight tremble. When it ends, you can no longer move your eyelids or swallow. At the end, Randol could no longer breathe.

Studies suggest that serving in the armed forces makes you more vulnerable to ALS. A 2005 Harvard School of Public Health report showed that military service makes you 60 percent likelier to develop ALS.

~snip~

The shameful neglect of veterans with ALS came to a long-overdue end Sept. 23, when VA announced new regulations. The rules grant veterans with Lou Gehrig’s disease access to health and disability benefits, regardless of where or when they served in the military.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/community/opinion/airforce_backtalk_gehrig_101308/%2e