HEALTH & FITNESS

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Time Travelers

Support group aids those with long-term physical challenges.

Stanley Klein, a Time Travelers member,

Time Travelers members Dr. Harold Margolis of

of West Bloomfield

West Bloomfield and Annette Pines of Farmington Hills

Suzanne Chesser
Special to the Jewish News

A

s many as 20 people gather
around tables in the social
hall of Temple Shir Shalom in
West Bloomfield on the second and last
Tuesdays of every month.
The participants are not all Jewish, and
the talk is not at all Jewish.
They come together as members of a
support group known as Time Travelers,
and they get advice and share ideas about
health issues. Each is confronting long-
term physical challenges brought on by
illness or injury.
Michelle "Shelly" Newman, who started
the group last fall, serves as a positive
example of a nonstop traveler through the
rigors of recuperation.
Newman was a busy wife, mother,
teacher and master's degree candidate at
the time she suffered a series of strokes and
central nervous system vasculitis in 2002.
Through therapy and perseverance, she has

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regained her ability to walk, read, write and
handle the basics of daily living although
still unable to return to work or drive.
"Our group is affected in so many dif-
ferent ways physically, but what we all
have in common is the need to get out and
be with people says Newman, 56, of West
Bloomfield, who schedules the speakers
and tries to arrange for rides when family
members are not available.
"When I first became ill, I was looking
for more therapy. There was a support
group that met once a month, but it was
mostly social. I wanted to find therapy
that could make me stronger.
"I was talking about this to Rabbis
Dannel Schwartz and Michael Moskowitz,
and they offered me the space she said.
"Since then, we have heard helpful sug-
gestions from a neurologist, chiropractor,
attorney, music therapist and many others."
Newman named the group after a
favorite science fiction book, The Time
Traveler's Wife. She saw a connection
between the characters going back and

Shelly Newman started Time Travelers in 2003.

forth in the years of their lives and mem-
bers doing something similar as they
relearn skills.
Rabbi Moskowitz has observed the group.
"Our temple is a place of inclusion
where everyone is welcome, and I think
it's wonderful that Shelly has brought the
Time Travelers here Moskowitz says. "We
hope we can offer a nurturing place for
them. Their stories and courage certainly
are inspirational to the rest of us."
Newman reaches out to possible partici-
pants through the health care specialists
who treat her. Sessions are free, and the
temple makes snacks available.
Harold Margolis, a retired pediatrician
who requires a motorized wheelchair as a
result of multiple sclerosis, finds the group
very rewarding.
"I like the meetings and the opportunity
to compare stories:' says Margolis, a West
Bloomfield resident. "I think it's always
helpful talking through problems, and I
think a synagogue is a good location for
any type of support group."

Danielle Mayoras, an attorney and
counselor with the for-profit Center
for Elder Law in Troy, has been a guest
speaker offering advice about community
services.
"Many people in this type of situation
don't understand what is available Mayoras
says. "This group has a desire for good
information, and it's important for members
to have updates regarding options, particu-
larly about long-term care
Melvyn Friedman, a retired family phy-
sician, suffered a severe head injury from a
biking accident in 1999. Although he could
not return to practice, therapy has brought
him to the point where he can get around
on his own and even drive. He serves as a
mentor in various patient programs.
"I hope I can provide hope says
Friedman of West Bloomfield. "I tell peo-
ple that I'm in my second life, and there is
a future." I

For information about Time Travelers,
call Shelly Newman: (248) 737-0266.