By Walecia Konrad – Health
August 21, 2009
The New York Times
BECAUSE she suffers from a rare genetic disorder, 17-year-old Siobhan O’Connor walks with braces and cannot speak. Her assistance dog, Gaynor, helps Siobhan keep her balance and navigate crowds when she leaves her Santa Monica, Calif., home. The dog can also pick up dropped items or open and close doors.
“Gaynor has been a tremendous help for my daughter physically, and a great bridge socially,” said Siobhan’s mother, Linda Karr O’Connor.
That is why Ms. O’Connor was so surprised when the company that administers her employer’s flexible spending health account rejected her claim for hundreds of dollars of veterinary bills and other maintenance costs for Gaynor. (A flexible spending health care account lets employees use pretax dollars to pay for qualified medical expenses.)
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All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD) is Atlanta's preeminent resource on developmental disabilities, providing support services to families for more than 55 years. We are often the one place where people with developmental disabilities can go to achieve personal empowerment, family stability and community participation. AADD provides family support; public policy and advocacy; and community engagement.
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