Faces of MS
“Stepping On the Ice” – A Profile of Maria Gikas-Balogh
By Roy Sexton
“Stepping on the ice…there is no better feeling. Even the smell of ice arena makes me feel good,” exclaims Maria Gikas-Balogh, a 31-year-old Lincoln Park teacher and Ann Arbor-based skating instructor.
Diagnosed with MS since 2004, Maria continues, “When I was three years old, I was watching TV with my mom and there was an ice skating show on. And I said I wanted to do that. And after that, she said she could never get skates off me. I started teaching when I was 16 or 17 – and that was something I always wanted to do.”
Faced with the reality of MS, Maria was filled with anxiety, but first in her heart was her love of the ice. “Skating is probably the most important thing in my life. When I was first diagnosed, that was the main thing on my mind. Would I ever be able to skate again. Not walking…skating!”
This lifelong passion saw her through the trying times, first and foremost the diagnosis process itself: “It took about two years for me to be diagnosed. I woke up one morning with numbness on my face and the left side of my arm and hand. I was worried I was having a stroke. At the time I didn’t have health insurance and no one wanted to help me. No one would send me for MRIs. And it was a constant battle to get someone to listen to me.”
Her breakthrough came when Maria visited an occupational therapist acquainted with her mother. “He did an MRI and they saw some signs. And then they did a spinal tap, and after that they confirmed. The worst part for me is that I didn’t know much about the disease and the only thing I knew was my cousin Terry who has MS is in his 30s and is in a wheelchair. I just remember going through a million different emotions…not really believing it.”
And it was at this moment that Maria’s unending drive for an active, fulfilling life came roaring back. “I was to the point that I wasn’t doing the things that I loved any more. I cut back on skating, exercising. I felt too tired all of the time. Is this the MS or is this me being depressed because I have MS, I thought? I finally said, ‘I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. And I just started to force myself to do more and get back on the ice.”
Maria adds, ““I have a great husband David and there is no way I would have done this without him. He told me, ‘This is isn’t you.’ I didn’t want to talk about the disease very much and he encouraged me to look at support groups and talk to folks who have MS. I didn’t want any part of it. I didn’t want to research online or watch the videos. And he really pushed me. He has been my rock.”
Maria’s undefeatable spirit saw her through the high financial cost of the disease: “With no medical insurance, it was extremely overwhelming. What do we do now if we can’t afford this medication? We were looking up all these places that could help you out, but it was still going to be challenging and expensive. We won’t be able to afford our mortgage. Will we have to move back in with our parents? You’re trying to absorb the fact that you have this disease and that you can’t afford to care for yourself.” Fortunately, Maria took advantage of a study at Wayne State that covered the cost of her medication until she could get insurance.
Through it all, the teacher in Maria saw opportunity to teach her students about compassion: “All of my students and their parents know I have MS. I work in an extended learning program, kindergarten through sixth grade. I’ve been working with the same students for four years. The students know when I’m having a bad day and they are so helpful – bending for me, lifting for me.”
As Maria the teacher has inspired her students, so have fellow teachers inspired Maria: “Theresa Kassuba, a teacher at Southgate High School, started the Downriver Walk MS. Her mother has MS. This walk has become so big that three years ago it was made an official walk. Theresa had a student, Sarah Venier, who told me about the fundraiser. The second year of the walk I had the largest friends and family team, and last year in 2008 we won the Bronze Award for the most money raised – over $6,000!”
Maria has a true zest for life, from skating to teaching, even traveling and snowboarding! With family in Greece, she travels to Europe every summer, and she even noted that, “I’m also a great snowboarder…when my legs are working well!” But this enthusiasm shines brightest when she talks about her students. She exclaims, “Teaching is my pride, a great joy to me. I don’t yet have any children of my own. Yet I have thirty! My students!”