Obtaining Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) can be a time-consuming and stressful experience. Two out of every three applicants initially are denied. When multiple sclerosis attacked Joseph Sheldon in the prime of life, his sister was there for him. Just as he had been there for her during her battle with breast cancer years earlier. Mr. Sheldon’s sister also recommended that he ask Allsup to help him secure his disability benefits. Read why this brother and sister caregiving team chose Allsup.

 

St. Louis, Missouri - Joseph Sheldon survived two serious car accidents in his life, including one wreck 14 years ago that broke his neck and required 11 days in the ICU and an eight-week tracheostomy. So when his longtime knee pain gradually became more severe in his mid-40s, he figured it was just a flare-up of old injuries or maybe part of the aging process.

 

“My right knee has two pins and no knee cap,” Mr. Sheldon said, a result of an earlier car accident when he was 16. “I originally thought I was just having a knee problem.”

 

But when Mr. Sheldon, now 49, saw specialists for pain and weakness, one of them believed there might be an underlying issue. In 2007, MRIs and other tests confirmed that Mr. Sheldon had multiple sclerosis, the most common neurological disorder diagnosed in young adults. The disease interferes with nerve impulses in the brain and spinal cord, causing impaired strength and movement. It can’t be cured, but medications can help slow the progression. Also, cases vary widely; some people have periods of time when the disease does not progress or improves. In Mr. Sheldon’s case, the disease has gradually worsened his mobility.

 

“I have good days and I have bad days,” Mr. Sheldon said. On good days, he is able to stand up, do laundry, bathe and feed himself. “I’m pretty much in a wheelchair, and on bad days, I usually stay seated most of the day.”

 

The mobility issues were a major problem for Mr. Sheldon - for more than 10 years, he was the supervisor of a large screen-printing shop that placed lettering and designs on T-shirts. He also was a welder and did welding jobs out of his home. The screen printing factory covered the area of a city block. When he first began having difficulty walking, he began using a Schwinn electric bike to get around the shop. After falling twice, he used a three-wheel scooter.

 

“The company I worked for was very understanding, they worked with me and helped me,” he said. Even after he was no longer able to work in the factory, he worked as a consultant, and he often took calls and gave guidance about how to fix a particular machine or where to locate certain tools.

 

Mr. Sheldon continued to work for two years after his diagnosis. “I was working 60 hours a week at least,” he said. “At least nine or 10 hours per day. And when I got home, there was always welding for me to do on the side.”

 

Mr. Sheldon had relocated to St. Louis from Rhode Island in 1997, when he began working in the screen-printing factory. His sister owned a home in St. Louis, and it had a fully converted basement with its own bathroom. Mr. Sheldon has lived there for 13 years. He lives downstairs, and his sister lives upstairs.

 

This was long before he was diagnosed with MS, but it turned into an extremely beneficial living situation once he became disabled. His sister works nights as a respiratory therapist and having her nearby helps him in numerous ways, including running errands, picking up prescriptions and driving him where he needs to go, particularly to medical appointments.

 

She also helps him if he’s fallen and can’t get up, which happens to him occasionally. He is 6 feet tall and 175 pounds, and most of his strength is in his arms, so normally she can help him get into a position where he can use his arms to get back up into the chair.

 

Mr. Sheldon said his sister acts like helping him is “not a big deal,” and he said her support makes his life easier in so many ways. They have helped each other over the years. “Three or four years ago, she was going through a bout of breast cancer, and whenever she needed me, I was there for her,” he said.

 

This sort of family caregiving is more common than many people realize. According to statistics provided by the National Family Caregivers Association, some 65 million Americans - 29 percent of the U.S. population, provide care for a disabled family member during any given year. Such family caregivers average about 20 hours of care per week, and it’s extremely valuable to those who receive it. It allows people like Mr. Sheldon to live as independently as possible.

 

Mr. Sheldon said that two keys to his comfort in life now are related to having Social Security Disability Insurance and his sister’s help with daily activities when he needs it.

 

Mr. Sheldon’s sister also played a role when he sought out SSDI information. She had heard of Allsup’s work; the company is the nation’s oldest and largest firm that helps people receive SSDI benefits. She recommended he call the company as soon as possible. It was smooth sailing from the start, with Allsup’s expert help. It took only five months for Mr. Sheldon to be approved for SSDI benefits. He never attempted to deal with Social Security on his own.

 

“Whatever I needed, Allsup was able to do,” Mr. Sheldon said. He became one of the more than 150,000 people since 1984 who have worked with Allsup to get SSDI benefits.

 

He was so impressed by their quick and responsive help, he keeps an envelope with Allsup’s contact information close to his phone, so if anyone he knows needs help getting SSDI, he has the information close at hand to provide to others.

 

“I’d definitely tell them to call,” he said. “They’re very quick and very supportive.”