Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) and Social Security Disability
Social Security Disability Lawyer
Typically, applying for and receiving social security disability benefits can take many months. But what if your disabling condition is so severe that you cannot wait? Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a disabling condition on the Compassionate Allowance List, which qualifies an individual for an expedited approval process.
What is FOP?
FOP, also known as Stone Man Syndrome, is a genetic disease of the body’s connective tissues. When fibrous tissues such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments sustain damage, they become ossified, or hardened into bone, eventually resulting in “frozen” joints and severely reduced mobility. In healthy individuals the gene that controls ossification (bone creation) deactivates after all of the fetus’s bones are formed in utero. However, in individuals with FOP, the gene continues to work throughout their lifetime. Removal of bony growths only generates more ossification, and at present, there is no cure for FOP.
FOP Symptoms
Some of the symptoms of FOP disease include:
- Deformed big toes, observable at birth
- Inability to crawl in infants
- Painful swelling in the shoulders and back
- Painful swelling elsewhere in the body
- Fever
- Lump-like bony growths
If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms, it is important to talk with a doctor immediately.
Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits and FOP
FOP automatically qualifies you for social security disability benefits under the Social Security Administration’s guidelines. If you or a loved one is diagnosed with FOP, then you are considered disabled for at least 24 months from the date of diagnosis.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with FOP, contact an experienced social security disability lawyer today. Please call us at 1-800‐882-5500 or fill out a free consultation form for a free evaluation of your social security disability case.
