EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK LETTERS Letters are posted and archived on JN Online: www.detroitjewishnews.corn A Woman Of Valor y ou don't often hear something so personal put so bluntly. "Much of my heart," the caller said, "is badly damaged." Susan Dubin had called to promote her participation in the 2001 Metro Detroit American Heart Walk on Sept. 22 at Oakland University in Rochester Hills. I didn't know what to say. Then it hit me. Hers is an important story — one of pain, courage and hope. This is a woman of great inspiration. The story begins Dec. 29, 1999. The West Bloomfield resident was headed home from the downtown Farmington eye clinic she managed and where she was beloved for caring about patients beyond their need for eyewear frames. She was deciding what to do for dinner. Her hus- yr— ' band, Dr. Howard Dubin, an optometrist and former clinic owner, was away on business. But thoughts of dinner soon turned to moments of fear. The symptoms were obvious: a soaring body temperature, tin- gling across her arms and back, pain in her left shoulder and heart. It was a heart attack. The popular school and community volun- teer, and former Women's American ORT Michigan Region presi- dent, was just 53. "It felt like a volcano exploded inside," the native Detroiter told the Farmington Observer a few weeks later. ROBERT A. Amazingly, she still had the presence to steer into a parking lot, SKLAR blare her horn and seek help to call for an ambulance. She asked Editor paramedics to take her to Providence Hospital in Southfield, where family friend Dr. Jeffrey Zaks, a cardiologist, is on staff Ten days later, following four days on the critical list, she went home. She never did return to work. "In medical terms, I have about 80-percent muscle damage," Susan told me Monday. Congestive heart failure is always a threat. She takes 21 pills a day, keeps a strict diet, closely watches her fluid intake and attends a cardiac therapy workout three times a week. "Rest is a critical part of my day," she says. Susan misses work, but enjoys the time she spends with family and friends. She and Howard also travel more. They have two sons, Art, 32, and Matt, 30. "The pills keep me alive and a low-fat, low-salt diet are healthy Susan Dubin for anyone," says Susan, whose high cholesterol (240) was a warning signal for coronary artery disease. "Of course, the best part of surviving was walking down the aisle last November at Matt's wedding to his beloved Debbie (Weinstein)." A Helping Heart Heart problems account for 40 percent of all U.S. deaths, more than the next six causes of death combined. Overall, cardiovascular disease kills more than 35,000 Michiganians every year. A member of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Susan credits medical advances inspired by the American Heart Association, plus Divine intervention, with keeping her alive. She says that 80 percent of the people who have a heart attack at age 53 die instantly. "When people ask me how that makes me feel, I tell them terrific. That means I'm a survivor, and this survivor has a cause — as a 'red cap' representative for the American Heart Association." "She really gives of herself," says her husband, a pillar of strength for his adoring wife. "She's tough and doesn't take no for an answer. That's why she survived the heart attack and why she's doing such a good job raising money for the Heart Association now Susan Dubin is an ordinary person with an extraordinary will to serve as an ambassador in the fight against heart disease. She's living proof that research and education do matter. As she put it: "God left me here definitely for a purpose." ❑ To support the 2001 Metro Detroit American Heart Walk, call Priscilla Burch at the American Heart Association office in Southfield. (248) 827-4214. Log on to the Al-IA Web site at www.americanheartorg One Size Does Not Fit All Watch Your Language Use I wanted to point out that in the most recent Editor's Notebook ("Plaza For All," Aug. 31, page 5), you wrote "70 AD." I think that it is very important in the Jewish community that you refer to that year as 70 CE. AD stands for anno domini, which means "in the year of our lord," referring to Jesus. Although it seems politically correct, I firmly believe that we in the Jewish community should refer to those years as CE, Common Era. It is something that I teach my students at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit. I think that it is important for our community to know the meaning behind certain words and abbreviations that are corn- monly used. Joel B. Davidson Southfield Forum's Lost Focus Will Reverberate I am saddened to read of the political manipulations that have taken place preceding the non-governmental organ- izations' (NGO) forum and at the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa ("Losing Durban," Aug. 31, page 22). A conference of such high ideals and potential, one that should be looking at ways to bring better understanding and cooperation between races (and ethnic groups by natural extension), seems to have fallen victim to its worse night- mare. In a conference of this caliber, one expects to see many who "march to a different drummer" — who are clear thinking enough to see, and brave enough to stand up for, a set of princi- ples that must be applied to their cause and all others. The NGO and U.N. conference dele- gates' shameless behavior in the pres- ence of one loud, manipulative and politically astute group (the Palestine Liberation Organization) is ignomin- ious. History has seen many such groups and their leaders take over the thinking of others in the name of "a good cause." Be it on a large scale like Hitler or deposed Serb leader Slobodan Milosovitch, or on a smaller local scale, it all amounts to the same thing: coer- LETTERS on page 6 JARC INDEPENDENT LIVING SERVICES TAILOR-MADE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL'S NEEDS • WE PROVIDE MORE THAN DAILY LIVING ASSISTANCE... WE PROVIDE A COMMUNITY. 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