Paul Rushing had a stroke at age 54 and a pulmonary embolism without any of the typical underlying issues. He has a hard time walking 100 yards without having to rest.
In Rushing’s estimation, the issues stem back to his time in the Army when he was exposed to toxic chemicals while serving at Fort Polk in Louisiana, later found to have unsafe levels of “forever chemicals” in its groundwater.
Earlier this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs denied Rushing’s claim. The department’s justification confounded him; it said a doctor had found that his illness was not connected to his service, something his doctor had never even evaluated. The denial letter mentioned medical issues entirely unrelated to his situation.