Pulmonary Valve Stenosis Waiver

J

jonlearjet

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Apr 15, 2016
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My son was born with Congenital Pulmonary Valve Stenosis and had a balloon valvuloplasty when he was 6 weeks old. This procedure corrected the sticking valve and left him with a mild residual pulmonary insufficiency. He is now 14 years old, a 3 sport athlete (football, swimming, and baseball) and has always ben cleared by his Pediatric Cardiologist for no athletic restrictions. He was also evaluated for premature ventricular contractions at age 12 with no issues found.

The way I read the medical requirements this would be a disqualifying condition, is that correct? If so is the hope of obtaining a waiver realistic? He starts high school in the fall and is interested in ROTC and a military career.
 
My hunch is that it is going to be an immediate DQ because if I read your post correct, he has a mild residual pulmonary insufficiency to this date. They will ask for surgeries (since birth) and any conditions after the age of 13. That means he has both.

The thing to realize is this is not just about him, but more about other factors...mainly getting the mission done. Will he be deployable anywhere around the world? If not than that means somebody has to take his place, thus, it can create mission issues for the units.

My best advice is to wait it out for right now. Plans change at their age. However, at the same time make sure you keep track of ALL of his medical records. When he becomes a sophomore research DoDMERB consultants. It will cost you money, but they understand the ins and outs of DoDMERB. Sometimes it is the wording submitted by the doc that will be the make or break for DQ/remedial/waiver.

All you can do is go through the process, and since that is at least 3 YEARS away, just move on with the other aspects...rigorous curriculum, sports, leadership, volunteer hours, etc. so that he will have the most competitive package to submit when it is his time.
 
Just to add to the above ( and very good) advice.
You will find noted in other posts, DODMERB does not issue waivers. Each of the Academy's has their own waiver process and, generally, only well qualified candidates are even considered.
We had success seeking waivers related to pediatric cardiac history, so it's possible. But the process is a bit stressful. And there are tons of threads that start roughly " what are my chances to get waivered for X.??" . The reality is you won't know until.... 1. Work hard in all areas and successfully navigate the admissions process. 2. If you are fortunate enough to be considered for a waiver, provide a thorough supporting medical history.
Good luck!
 
firecaptain makes a very good point. Many people think that DoDMERB gives the waiver. They do not. All DoDMERB does is determine if they meet the requirements. The commissioning source will grant or deny the waiver. Thus, when you get the DQ, DoDMERB is not the board that you will deal with per se. The board will be the medical board for that branch that reviews his records.

The AF might deny the waiver, and the Army might grant it. A great example of this is color vision deficiency. The Navy is known to be the hardest to get waivers when compared to AF or Army.

Additionally, the commissioning source means an SA/ROTC/OTS. An SA may deny a waiver, while ROTC may grant it. Rare, but it happens, however, not usually for the AF because ROTC grads will go ADAF upon commissioning (not Guard or Reserve).
 
jonlearjet said:
My son was born with Congenital Pulmonary Valve Stenosis and had a balloon valvuloplasty when he was 6 weeks old. This procedure corrected the sticking valve and left him with a mild residual pulmonary insufficiency. He is now 14 years old, a 3 sport athlete (football, swimming, and baseball) and has always ben cleared by his Pediatric Cardiologist for no athletic restrictions. He was also evaluated for premature ventricular contractions at age 12 with no issues found.

The way I read the medical requirements this would be a disqualifying condition, is that correct? If so is the hope of obtaining a waiver realistic? He starts high school in the fall and is interested in ROTC and a military career.
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Jonlearjet are you still on this page? What was the outcome? I have a similar situation with my HS aged son. He has an older brother in a service academy. Just wondering what his chances are on getting a waiver.
 
Jlong said:
Jonlearjet are you still on this page? What was the outcome? I have a similar situation with my HS aged son. He has an older brother in a service academy. Just wondering what his chances are on getting a waiver.
Click to expand...
2016 thread - zombie thread now walking - unlikely those posters are still around. Each case is evaluated on its merits by the waiver authority, IF the commissioning program requests a waiver, using policy and precedent.

Your son and you can go to the DoDMERB home page and work your way through everything in the left-side menu, including Contacts, to learn about the process. If you have a son already at an SA, then you are already familiar with what goes on.

 
Capt MJ said:
2016 thread - zombie thread now walking - unlikely those posters are still around. Each case is evaluated on its merits by the waiver authority, IF the commissioning program requests a waiver, using policy and precedent.

Your son and you can go to the DoDMERB home page and work your way through everything in the left-side menu, including Contacts, to learn about the process. If you have a son already at an SA, then you are already familiar with what goes on.

Click to expand...
Thanks for the response. I am somewhat familiar; however, my oldest son who is currently at an Academy did everything on his own, so I really don’t know much about the waiver process. Fortunately he did not require any. I was just hoping to find out if it’s even realistic to think that a waiver would be possibility for a pulmonary valve issue.
 
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