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Living Well

Health

A Hard Journey

MEDICAL AND FINANCIAL WOES
ACCOMPANY A BURST OF SUNSHINE FROM RUSSIA.

RUTHAN BRODSKY

Special to the Jewish News

F

our-year-old Mikhail
Robert Dresser lays in bed
with a shunt in his chest.
He is weak from the last
round of chemotherapy and from the
constant infections that invade his
susceptible body.
He arrived in the United States •
from Birodbidzhan, Russia, accompa-
nied by his new parents last February.
Six months later, their happy world

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1/12
2001

84

turned upside down. Mikhail was
diagnosed with a tumor just above his
brain stem.
Almost everyone you speak with
describe Marilyn and Richard Dresser
of Bay City as very special: kind, lov-
ing, and giving. Rabbi Robert Scott,
recently retired from Bay City's
Temple Beth Israel, knows Marilyn
and Richard as dedicated Jews. He
sees them as a unique couple, content
with what they have, appreciating
their lives no matter the direction,
and remaining grateful that they can

continue to give of themselves.
The Dressers are a quiet couple.
With a courage known only to a few,
they move quickly and take care of
what needs to be done without com-
plaint.
The Dressers see themselves as
ordinary people. They admit to
being exhausted and unable to man-
age their growing financial debt. A
year ago, they borrowed money to
adopt 3-year-old Mikhail. They -
spent almost a month in Russia and
close to $30,000 to bring Mikhail
home. The uniquely human process
of adopting had spiraled into a
bureaucratic morass.
_ But after arriving home in
Michigan, all went well for months.
Mischa, as he is fondly called, was
adjusting and learning English. He
had already bonded with 14-year-old
Samantha, his new sister, and 8-year-
old Jacob, his new brother who was
born in Guatemala and adopted by
the Dressers.
Since August, however, Mischa has
undergone two surgical procedures,
had six weeks of radiation therapy,
and began his 15-month cycle of
chemotherapy.
"Marilyn and Richard were
always active in Jewish culture,"
recalls Rabbi Scott. "They contin-
ued their volunteer activities in
Conservative Judaism when Richard
took the job as assistant prosecuting
attorney for Bay County and they
moved to the Bay City area.
Richard was past president and
chairman of the ritual committee of
our congregation, which serves the
Bay City, Midland and Saginaw
areas.
"Marilyn is religious school
director of Temple Beth Israel and
was a teacher. She has an art gallery,
but it's usually closed because she
has no time. It has been rare experi-
ence to meet two such people who
are so generous and so giving of
themselves."

On The Move

Before Mischa's arrival, the Dressers
lived in an old, spacious, two-story
home in Bay City. They spent much of
their leisure time renovating the house.
Because of Mischis medical bills, they
moved to a smaller, ranch-style house.
"We borrowed money to adopt
Mischa because it was so expensive,"
explains Marilyn. "Now the medical
co-pays are adding up. His medica-
tions cost several hundred dollars a
month. We just couldn't keep up,
especially since we've also lost some
wage income. But maybe it's for the
better. Mischa can't climb the steps
and this way we're on one floor."
The small Jewish community in
the Bay City area has supported the
Dressers, but they need more finan-
cial help. Friends and coworkers
have joined Richard on the 2 1 /2-
hour round trip from Bay City to
Ann Arbor for treatments, which
may take place five times a week.
Two people are needed: one to drive
and the other to take care of
Mischa. He may start vomiting or
have other difficulties that require
immediate attention.
"They've even raised money to help
pay for the gasoline and meals in Ann
Arbor if Marilyn or I have to spend the
night there," explains Richard.
The logistics and expenses are
mind-boggling: $20 worth of gasoline
five times a week, hospital cafeteria
food and medical co-pays.
"Mischa gets sick easily because his
immune system is so low from the
chemotherapy treatment," explains
Richard. "For the past month, he's
had a fever. Sometimes its low and
sometimes very high and•we don't
know why. It's so frustrating. We
often end up spending hours at the
emergency room."
"He's such a wonderful kid," says
Marilyn. "We'll do whatever it takes.
After we adopted Jacob, we continued
receiving newsletters about other
Jewish orphans. When we saw

