Success Story: Linda Pomelo
*Names have been fictionalized to protect the privacy of our clients.
Linda had grown up a child of the late 80s. While she’d watch her mother get ready to go out to parties, she’d admire the perfumes she’d lavish on herself; Poison by Christian Dior; Opium by Yves Saint Laurent; Obsession by Calvin Klein; even the classic Chanel No. 5. They all stuck in her mind as the ultimate symbols of femininity. As she grew up in Waterloo, her infatuation with perfume continued to grow.
All her life, Linda had been prone to migraines. She could never seem to predict what would bring them on. Doctors and specialists alike couldn’t seem to pin down precisely what the problem was. She simply resigned herself to the idea that they were a part of the fabric of her life. She went to university, and things started to get worse. She’d miss classes, struggled with labs and assignments, and frequently found herself having a hard time keeping up. But she pushed through, got her degree, and entered the workforce.
When she started her first job as an administrative assistant, she loved it. It was just the challenge she’d wanted all throughout school. But the migraines seemed to get worse. Still, there was an element of randomness to them. They happened sporadically, and the triggers seemed inconsistent. After several years, they became more frequent, more constant, and she started missing work. Her boss suggested she take some time off to recover, and so she did.
In that time, she had no choice but to stay indoors and try to cope with the crippling pain. After several weeks she felt better and decided to return to work. Getting ready that morning, she dabbed on a touch of her favourite perfume and finished getting dressed. Within seconds of applying the perfume, she started to notice a migraine coming on. How had she never noticed it before? Wearing perfume nearly all her life, or being surrounded by it because of her mother, it never occurred to her that this could be what was making her sick. She rushed to the washroom to rinse off the perfume, and almost immediately the headache began to dissipate. She called into work sick and went straight to her doctor with her hypothesis. She’d been sent for allergy testing before, but fragrance never seemed to make the list of things to watch for. This time, however, they knew what to look for.
She reacted almost immediately. It was undeniable: Linda was allergic to perfume. She needed time to figure out what to do next. She applied for short-term disability through her insurance but her claim was denied. They simply didn’t think her perfume allergy was severe enough to merit disability coverage. Her boss was outraged and decided to help in any way she could.
That’s when she found Share Lawyers. While scouring the internet for options, Linda’s boss saw a blog from Share Lawyers. She immediately went to the site, saw our work, and told Linda to call us. Just a couple of short days after she did, we set up our first meeting.
Thankfully, we’ve been able to work with Linda towards getting her the benefits she needs to figure out her next steps in life. We’ve been able to help her get the necessary medical documentation to prove that her allergy is sufficiently debilitating and to assist her in the process of fighting for her benefits. Fragrance sensitivity and perfume intolerance are not to be taken lightly and can have very severe side effects. At Share Lawyers, we want to ensure that your needs are met and that your claims are believed.
Denied your long term disability claim?
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