The appellant's son died of a spinal cord tumor, not spina bifida. The Board denied the claim as there is no evidence of spina bifida and the effective date for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1805 cannot be prior to October 1, 1997.
The deciding factor: The appellant's son died from a spinal cord tumor, not spina bifida, which is required for eligibility under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1805.
- Claimed conditions
- spina bifida
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2001
- Citation
- 0102418
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0102418.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 for a child born with spina bifida is denied because no new and relevant evidence has been submitted to support the claim.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied benefits for spina bifida and other covered birth defects because the Appellant does not have a diagnosis of spina bifida, her mother is not a Vietnam Veteran, and there is no legal basis to grant benefits.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service in Vietnam did not qualify the Appellant for benefits due to spina bifida or other covered birth defects, as her mother is not a Vietnam Veteran.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied benefits for spina bifida and other covered birth defects because the Appellant does not have a diagnosis of spina bifida, his mother is not a Vietnam Veteran, and there is no legal basis to grant the claim.
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