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Mazel
Toy!

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A Story
For The

Toronto wedding postponed

because ofd SARS-

quarantined bride.

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
Staff Writer

T

he last place Michelle Markowitz expected
to spend her wedding day was holed up in
her parents' Toronto home, quarantined
over fears of Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome, or SARS.
"Three days before the wedding, we heard on the
news that some of the patients at St. John's
Rehabilitation Hospital, where Michelle works, had
SARS," said Michelle's fiance, Bradley Goldsmith, a
former Detroiter who now lives in Toronto. "Michelle
is an occupational therapist and works in the outpa-
tient department of the hospital, so we were hoping
she wouldn't be affected.
"So Friday morning, as soon as the Toronto Public
Health offices opened, we tried to call to see if employ-
ees would be quarantined, but the lines were jam-
packed. We thought probably the hospital would let
Michelle know later in the day, but we couldn't wait, so
Michelle, her mom and I went down there ourselves."
"I was hoping they would examine me," Michelle
said, "and maybe give me clearance. The whole time I
was really nervous and anxious." But the unwelcome
news came — Michelle would be expected to be in
quarantine for the next days 10 days — including the
day she had planned to be married.

To Travel Or Not?

Travel advisories and reports of nearly 70 active proba-
ble cases and more than 30 deaths attributed to SARS
in Toronto kept some invited wedding guests away,
including relatives from Israel who feared contracting
the disease.
"One of our guests was told he could not travel to

Toronto and that if
he were to get
SARS, his benefits
would not cover
him," Michelle
said.
"We had a lot of
people who weren't
planning to be
there because of
fears of SARS,
including one with
respiratory prob-
lems whose doctor
told her not to
go," said Brad's
father, Allen
Goldsmith of West
Bloomfield.
"Obviously, we
had our concerns,
too, but we were
not afraid because
we didn't come
into contact with
anyone who had
the disease."
Even with negative responses to the invitation, "at
least 50 guests were expected to come from Detroit,"
Allen Goldsmith said.
And by the time word came about the quarantine,
many of them were among the out-of-towners who
arrived early for the Sunday, May 25, celebration,
including Allen Goldsmith and Brad's mother, Fran
Goldsmith of West Bloomfield, and her husband,
Terry Malloch.

Michelle and Brad
have rescheduled for
November.

"I was really devastated,"
Michelle said. "I just thought
over and over that I am not
going to be able to go to my own wedding — that
there is not going to be a wedding. I just cried.
"My mom and dad did most of the calling to the
shut, caterer, florist, band, photographer, videographer,
wedding consultant."

FOR THE GRANDKIDS on page 46

6/27
2003

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