Physician who broke racial barriers dies /Caring Physician Helped Heal City

March 26, 2004

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Physician who broke racial barriers dies

.... He'd been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a degenerative

connective tissue disorder that hinders collagen production, causing fragile

skin and muscle tissue and excruciating joint pain. The disease forced him

to give up medicine.

" It was crushing, " Carolyn Woodson said. " He loved his patients. He loved

his practice. It was his passion. He never really got over that loss. "

The Woodsons moved to Palo Alto, Calif., a place Dr. Woodson had fallen in

love with years earlier.

" He said, " I don't want to run into patients and have them feeling sorry for

me. I want to go someplace where nobody knows me, " ' his wife said. " He just

didn't want to have a constant reminder of what he couldn't do (anymore). "

In California, Dr. Woodson mentored students from poor families and took

time to bond with his children, Marcus and .

The family moved to Philadelphia in 1998 to be near relatives. There, he

sought to educate people about his disease and comfort those who had it.

" He touched my life in so many aspects, " said Heim, who also has

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and became close to Dr. Woodson. " It was more than

just a friendship. Each time we spoke, we totally understood each other. "

.... Dr. Woodson died in his sleep March 17 of a massive heart attack. He had

spent the evening with his wife, watching television and laughing... She

also remembered how he sang " even in the worst of times. " He had about 15

surgeries during the course of his disease, and each time he made the

doctors play a cassette as they put him under anesthesia: Billie Holiday,

Chet Baker, Louis Armstrong and others ... About two weeks ago, Dr. Woodson

told his wife he was thankful for the gift of illness. " It showed him how

strong people could be, " she said. " He had time with his family and friends,

time to get to know his children. Most people don't get to do that. "

A celebration of life ceremony is planned for Dr. Woodson on Saturday

evening at the Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia. Family members ask that in

lieu of flowers, donations be made to the National Organization for Rare

Disorders in Washington.

Caring Physician Helped Heal City

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