The Board denied the Veteran's claim for recognition of his son as a 'helpless child' due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining age 18, finding that there was insufficient evidence to support this claim.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish that the Veteran's son was permanently incapable of self-support by reason of physical or mental defect at or before he attained the age of 18.
- Claimed conditions
- spina bifida involving the first sacral vertebra, absent left kidney, right kidney drainage tube abnormality, abnormal development of the floor of the bladder resulting in urinary incontinence (faulty control mechanism), imperforate anus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2010
- Citation
- 1014507
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1014507.
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 Veteran's son is not eligible for benefits because the mother is not a Vietnam veteran and the condition is not spina bifida.
- Whole decision: Denied
The appellant's mother did not serve in or visit Vietnam, and therefore is not eligible for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1815 due to her lack of service connection.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected absent left kidney does not warrant a higher disability rating, and his claim for TDIU based on this condition is also denied.
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