On 7th February our community gathered for Dr. Axelrod’s 80th birthday party on Zoom. The party was to celebrate with Dr. Axelrod and honour her lifelong devotion to caring for our loved ones with FD. Many of our FD community attended and said it was wonderful to see friends from near and far join together to celebrate Dr. Axelrod and her impact on so many lives.
After the main celebration, there was an introduction from the Head of the Foundation and a few words from the nurse who worked along side her and Professor Kaufmann, Director of NYU Dysautonomia centre. Together everyone sang happy birthday before the party split into two groups: Dr. Axelrod visited with her former patients, where she had the opportunity to speak to everyone individually, in one group. In the other was a parent group, where families shared memories of Dr. Axelrod over the years.
Our committee member Rosalind Jacobs says
The patients separated and in turn told our story and shared memories happy and sad. In this couple of hours, we all laughed and cried, it was so emotional and it brought us all together from all over the world to celebrate this special women’s 80th birthday. It was an honour and a total pleasure to be part of this incredible physicians’ special birthday. Dr Axelrod was part of our lives for many years. She made FD her total life and with this she brought hope and support to her patients and their families. She researched and gained knowledge over her career which gave the FD patient a better quality of life and with this she was there to support you 24 hours a day 7 days a week. She maybe in a restaurant or getting on a plane but life stopped for her if her patient needed her. On the zoom party her eyes sparkled at seeing her patients who are like her own children, seeing how they had grown and strived to have a normal life with this illness. She loved taking to all of them one by one and listening while the patients told their own stories about this amazing woman. As a group could never thank enough as without her we would not have our children. Happy birthday Dr. Axelrod you are just incredible.
Rosalind Jacobs
In the FD Journal 2020 Dr. Felicia Axelrod dedicates the following inscription
In honour of all the fabulous FD patients and their incredible families. You have enriched my life immeasurably and will forever be in my heart.
FD Journal 2020