No Handicap

Dr. Harold
Margolis
refuses to
allow his
MS to come
between
him and his

sk pediatrician Harold D. Mar-
golis if the dynamics of chil-
dren have changed over the 17
years he has been in practice
and he will discuss the effects
of adult lifestyles rather than
hildren themselves.
Foremost among his concerns is the in-
crease in communicable illnesses in very
young children. He attributes that to the
lifestyle of parents who feel financially
pressed, intensify work schedules and use
day care centers where sicknesses readily
can be passed from one child to another.
While his young patients remain in-
quisitive about the work that he does,
changes in his personal life have result-
ed in new questions.
Children want to know why he uses an
electric cart to move about. Dr. Margolis
answers that his legs don't work and the
cart lets him take care of them. There is
no mention of the multiple sclerosis diag-
nosed in 1982.
Since that diagnosis and dependence

first on a cane and then a walker, Dr. Mar-
golis has decreased his patient load from
40 to 15 children each day. He is accom-
panied by a resident able to handle the
physical manipulations that might be nec-
essary during an exam.
"What keeps me going is being able to
share my experience and knowledge with
families and the house staff," said Dr. Mar-
golis, who until recently served as chair-
man of the department of pediatrics at
Botsford General Hospital for eight years.
"I had much apprehension after I first
had to use a cart, not knowing what fam-
ilies and kids would feel when they saw
me, but the reaction has been very posi-
tive. They are very caring and try to help
me while I'm helping the children."
Dr. Margolis takes steroids to assist in
controlling his illness and to give him
more energy. For a year, he had been in
an experimental program using beta in-
terferon, but it did not allay his symp-
toms.
Now, he awaits a new medication out

of Israel and hopes it will retard pro-
gression of the disease.
"I've always enjoyed taking care of kids,
and my interest really became strong
when medical school requirements placed
me in the neonatal intensive care unit,"
he explained. "I spent many hours there,
going beyond requirements."
Dr. Margolis says he treats all of his pa-
tients as if they were his own children:
Rachel, 16, and David, 13. With his wife,
Marlene, a part-time pharmacist, they
have become an unflinching support
group.
"We've been very active in Congrega-
tion Shaarey Zedek, and three years be-
fore my daughter's bat mitzvah my wife
began campaigning for equipment that
would allow me to go up on the bimah for
Rachel's services," Dr. Margolis recalled.
"They eventually built an elevator at
the back of the bimah, where it remains
unseen by the congregation. Soon after,
Rabbi (Irwin) Groner called me to say how
helpful it's been for other people as well,

particularly for grandparents who want
to be part of services."
Mrs. Margolis's next mission is to get
automatic doors for the synagogue.
The only structural change at the Mar-
golis home has been a ramp from the
garage into the house, but there has been
considerable activity. The family partici-
pates in an MS support group at the
Maple-Drake Jewish Community Center
and with MS organizations.
"When my son was 10 years old, he
signed up for an MS book-a-thon and
raised $500," Dr. Margolis said. "He read
so many books that he got on local TV
news."
Dr. Margolis tries to be very positive for
his own sake and for the benefit of his fam-
ily. He makes a point of not complaining.
"MS has made me a strong person men-
tally," the pediatrician said. "During my
first hospitalization, one of the neurologists
emphasized that MS would not kill me and
that it was up to me to make my life the
best I could. I always remember that." r

