About me

I am 51 years old. I was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. My parents, Harriet and Dick Fein are both alive and well and still reside in the house where I grew up. I am the oldest of three girls. Both of my sisters and their families live in the Bay area.

I have lived in Vermont since the mid 70s. I was married to Michael Goldfinger in 1982 and in 1987, we had a daughter, Becky. We were both working full time and shared our parenting responsibilities. Our lives together were filled with contra dancing and lots of physical activity - biking, skiing, sailing.

I have a graduate degree in social work. My professional work has included working as the CEO of a rural mental health center, a brief stint running an innovative partly provider owned managed behavioral health care company, and consulting and project management in the field of behavioral health.

Michael was the co-owner of a successful custom furniture company. He sold that company in the early nineties after which he became the primary parent to Becky and did some small business consulting. In spring of 1997, Michael was diagnosed with a form of bone marrow cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Within weeks, this had become acute myelogenous leukemia (the same illness I now have). Over the following five months, Michael underwent two rounds of chemotherapy and then, an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital. In December of 1997, eight months after diagnoses, Michael died at home. Becky and I began the long and painful process of adjusting to being a family of two.

We were and are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by the most incredible network of friends and family. Throughout the time of Michael's illness and since, we have been supported in every imaginable way. I can not imagine we could have been any better supported. Also during this time, yoga became a fixed part of my life and it has continued to be a central part of my life.

In the spring of 2000, Steve Worona, my very first boyfriend whom I had met when I was only 15, miraculously found his way into my life. At the time Steve was working at Cornell. In late December, the same day that I was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), Steve accepted a job that would take him to Washington, DC. Despite the geographic distances and my illness, our relationship has managed to develop and deepen.

The rest of my story can be found in the EllenNews updates.