September is known as National Childhood Cancer month. Last Friday when the Red Sox came to California to play the Dodgers, a 6-year-old cancer patient was brought onto the field to meet with one of the pitchers from the East Coast team.
Jon Lester is a cancer survivor, and he has been seeking to raise awareness about the medical condition. Lester was diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer in 2006, and after beating the disease and completing physical rehab, he worked his way back to the mound, even winning a game in the final series leading to a world championship.
He and the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation have arranged for Lester to meet kids with cancer in some ballparks across the country on the days the ace pitcher is not scheduled to take the mound. In the recent event in L.A., the young Southern California resident, a hero in his own right, had the opportunity to meet one of his heroes.
Last Friday in Los Angeles, the boy from Southern California and his family were brought down to meet with Lester. The child is fighting neuroblastoma, a form of cancer that usually strikes children at a very young age.
While there are treatments for the disease, the Social Security Administration has included child neuroblastoma on its list of Compassionate Allowances, an important fast-track program in the eligibility determination process under the Social Security disability insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs.
Many forms of cancer are included in the list of Compassionate Allowances. Generally, a person with sufficient work history (or adults under the age of 22 who may qualify on a parent’s work history) who has become disabled may qualify for the federal disability benefits. Low income people in the San Diego area may qualify for SSI benefits based upon a disability, regardless of work history.
The process and evidence required to qualify for disability benefits are cumbersome, and a Southern California SSDI lawyer can assist a disabled worker with the application process or any potential appeals.
Although the Social Security Administration recognizes 200 medical conditions that qualify for the fast-track Compassionate Allowances program, the application process can still be cumbersome for these recognized conditions.
Source: Fox News, “Red Sox pitcher goes to bat for the littlest teammates in fight against cancer,” Don Fair, Sept. 19, 2013