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have slowed it down to a pace that I
can deal with. Most importantly, I
have learned to listen to my body,"
Goldman says.
can't dance like I used too,"
She has worked at the Arthritis
Shelly Goldman says, describ-
Foundation in Southfield for 10 years
ing the osteoarthritis that has
as a program assistant.
been attacking her knees and
For Goldman, living life comfort-
hips since her mid-20s.
ably
with the disease comes from tak-
"But even on my bad days — and
ing charge of herself.
trust me, I have my fair share
"Knowledge of the dis-
of them — I never give up,
Shelly Goldman,
ease
and early diagnosis are
nor let anything hold me
right, and three
the best ways to take con-
back. It is a trait I inherited
members of last
from my dad," says the 44-
year's team: Erin trol. Medication is easy to
take to numb the pain, but
Lynch of West
year-old Goldman.
you must know how to
The painful arthritis, which Bloomfield and
work with it," she says.
Pete and .Audrey
she forcefully says is not an
Amolsch
of
"When I am having my
old person's disease, "is much
Livonia.
flare ups and I eventually
more than just aches and
get through the pain, I
pains." The Southfield native,
think to myself, 'My dad must be
in Royal Oak, has
who now
looking out for me."'
always loved walking. "I started walk-
Goldman looks to her mother,
ing as a teen at [Birmingham] Groves
Elaine Goldman, who lives in
High School, where I walked to raise
Southfield, and her late father, as
money for ecology" Now as the nice
inspirations to keep healthy.
weather hits, Goldman can be spotted
Michael Goldman of Southfield
walking almost daily in downtown
was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthri-
Royal Oak, about two miles a day. "I
CARI WALDMAN
Special to the Jewish News
I
J141
3/31
2000
60
A daughter's
dedication
raises money for
arthritis research.
tis in his mid-30s. The ultimate real
estate salesman, as Shelly describes
him, died in August 1986 at age 60,
from congestive heart failure and com-
plications from his arthritis.
In order to do something to raise
money for arthritis and memorialize
her father, Goldman has become
involved in the Joint Walk, which rais-
es money for arthritis research to find
a cure.
Three years ago, the first time
Goldman walked in the race, she did
not have a goal, but collected $2,500
in pledges. Last year, she set a goal of
$5,000 and collected $6,000 in
pledges. This year, her goal is
$10,000. So far, she has collected
$5,200 from family, friends and co-
workers at the foundation.
"There are a lot of walks and chari-
ties out there to compete with, so I
started collecting my pledges in
January," Goldman says. Her team of
seven volunteers from the foundation
will walk in downtown Royal Oak on
April 8.
"The day is energetic and the walk
is filled with people with big hearts,"
says Goldman. There is a 2.5- or 7-
mile course, and a second walk for the
same cause will be held in Ann Arbor
on April 9.
"The walk means everything to
me," Goldman says tearfully. She has
named her team Mikey and Mellissa's
Joint Production for her dad and
Mellissa Hafeli, her bosses' daughter
who was born with juvenile rheuma-
toid arthritis. Hafeli, now 25, lives in
Tennessee and had surgery to replace
both knees and most recently, a hip
replacement. "She has known nothing
but pain," Goldman says.
"If I can walk away with a trophy
for raising the most money, I will be
satisfied to think, 'Hey, Daddy, you
helped me raise that money!"' ❑
To help Shelly Goldman reach her
goal, or to participate in the Royal
Oak or Ann Arbor walks, call
Goldman at the Arthritis
Foundation, (248) 424-9001.