Alabama Veterans Wrongly Told They Have Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Panicked veterans from Alabama are among those who wrongly received a notification saying they suffered from a fatal neurological disease. At least 1,200 Gulf War veterans across
the country received the notifications from the Veterans
Administration. The letters dated August 12 were intended to notify veterans who
have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, of
disability compensation benefits available to them.
    Calls to the VA were not immediately returned Monday.
    National Gulf War Resources Center Vice President Denise Nichols
says the VA is blaming a coding error for the mistake.
    ALS is a rapidly progressive disease that attacks the nerve
cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles.