UueSt CoLumn

American Heart
Association.

FThting Heart ase3se.
and Stroke

YOU BEING
STALKED By

ARE

WOMEN' S

No. I KILLER?

My
Aunt Mim
And Me

Rebecca Grant
Special to AppleTree

ancer in the form of a brain
tumor is killing my Aunt Mim.
Why is she dying? What
did she do that caused God to give
I her so much pain? There are so
many questions, but no answers.
My great-aunt Mim has gone
through many radiation treatments,
for chemotherapy is not permitted in
this area of her brain. However, her
doctors will do no more. She is still
fighting for what little life she has
and this is why she is my hero.
Miriam Menaker, my aunt, has
I : always helped out at every fund-
raiser and community activity she

Editort Note: Rebecca Grant o

Farmington Hills, whose guest coi
umn is printed here, placed first
among three essay contest winners
from Mille! Day School of Metro-
politan Detroit in Farmington Hills.

The three Hillel eighth-graders
were recognized in the 31st annual
America and Me essay contest,

could attend. She has been the
guest of honor at over a dozen din-
ners; she even has a plaza named
after her! Being president of the city
council for 25 years, she has got-
ten to know and befriend hundreds
of people.
When I was a little girl, she
would grab my hands and twirl me
around like I was a princess meet-
ing her prince. I laughed for hours.
I was her little angel and she was
my mother.
What's happening?
I went to see my Aunt Mim this
past summer. The memories are fad-
ing. I tell myself to keep remember-
ing the days during which I spent
hours laughing and giggling with

.110.47:1.

Reducing
your risk
factors fin-
heart disease
U11(1 stroke is
good self clefense

©1997, American Heart

ra - tion

Rebecca Grant: Looking close,
with love.

her, but now they seem so far away.
The disease is full and strong now
— an awful life-threatening sickness
— and she's changing. Her beauti-
ful blonde hair has fallen out on
one side of her head, but when I
look into her still lovely eyes, I can
see her former beauty. Why is this
happening to her?
Miriam Menaker is fighting for sur-
vival. I look at her now and grieve
as cancer destroys her body, but I
don't look away; for her spirit
remains strong and so shall mine till
it is her time.
Maybe, someday, somehow, I
will be with this great-aunt that I will
soon only have in memories. ❑

INTEGRATED
N ti T R,I TION

Nourishing & Enhancing
One's Total Being

Barbara Beznos & Patricia Covert

Regiskord Dietitians, Liumrd INoi;tiags/Nutrtiordste, Side W. Floral

32401 Northwestern Hwy.,
Farmington I-Tills, MI 48334
(248) 538-8050
www.integratednutrition.com

the .

New

World of Nutrition
in a Pro f .e.,,,zional.
°
atmosphere

WC.'

are

Integrated Nutrition

ssay

sponsored by Farm Bureau Insur
ance. Rebecca placed first; Meryl
Schwartz of Huntington Woods
took second, and Jeremy Baruch of
West Bloomfield, third.
All three received award certifi
cates for their achievement. As the
school's first-place winner, Rebec
ca will have her name engraved
on a plaque for permanent dis-
play at Hillel.

Rebecca's entry now advances to
the state-level competition, from
which the-top 10 essays in Micli-
gan will be selected.
Several thousand eighth graders
from nearly 500 Michigan schools
participated in the America and
Me essay contest for the 1999
2000 school year. The writers'
topic was: "My American Hero for
the 21st Century."

'4

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Sat. 11-3 or by Appt.

248-624- 7300

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