Vietnam veteran David McKinney-Smith was diagnosed with cancer, and told he only had six months to live. According to the report from KTNV, he believes he got cancer while stationed in Vietnam and exposed to a huge tanker that was spraying Agent Orange.
David still thinks he lives in the “greatest country in the world” and wouldn’t change a thing, but this slippage by the VA should have never happened.
From KTNV:
The VA approved him for home hospice, but told the dying vet he’d have to cancel that care to get an electric wheelchair. He did that, but then the VA denied his request, leaving him with no hospice, no wheelchair and no faith.
“The VA double-crossed me,” David said.
We asked him to give us a message to deliver to the VA.
“Please stop lying to the vets!”
After talking with David about his situation, Darcy Spears immediately picked up the phone to ask the VA what the heck was going on. Less than 48 hours later, David had his wheels.
“Our entire team out at the VA was kind of taken back by this case,” said VA Public Affairs Chief Chuck Ramey.
He said it was “quite sad” that it did happen to the veteran who served two tours of duty in Vietnam. Ramey calls it a misstep, saying the person at the VA who denied David’s request misinterpreted policy and was unaware of resources like the VA wheelchair loan program.
“We’re going to go back and look at this and see what we can do to make sure that if this comes up and happens again that we’re taking care of our people and our patients accordingly,” said Ramey.
He came out to David’s home to help deliver the chair in person.
How can this happen? That’s why the VA is in trouble now with the American people. There is no apology big enough for this man-made failure. I am glad David got his wheelchair, but slip-ups like this under the Obama administration just reminds us how precious our veterans are and how screwed up our government is.
H/T: KTNV
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