It would be hard to script a better hypothetical: Two sisters, 50-year-old identical twins, both born and raised in Pennsylvania, both suffering from myotonic dystrophy, a degenerative disorder affecting muscle function and mental processing.

Leslie Schaller still lives in Pennsylvania and gets a $755 Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, check each month after she was deemed disabled. With this money, she is able to lead a full and independent life.