Health wild cards

Regarding Eugene M. Goldberg's April 23 letter ("Healthy Choices"): While Mr. Goldberg is certainly correct that, in some situations, the state of our health results from our lifestyles, he is offensively self-righteous when he states flatly that "health has nothing to do with luck."

Does he not realize that many people suffer illnesses that have nothing to do with their choices -- for example, children who develop leukemia, nonsmokers with lung cancer, or people whose immune systems betray them with conditions like MS?

Of course we should all work toward wellness. But luck -- good or bad -- is a wild card that can be dealt to anyone. Let's offer sympathy and empathy -- never blame -- to people who are struggling with any illness.

 

SUSAN COSGROVE
Oakland