Margareta Nordin – A Tribute to Your Life
by Adam Wilkey
Adam Wilkey, DC, and Margareta Nordin, Dr. Med. Sci., PT, discuss patient care in the MGM School of Physiotherapy clinic.
Maybe it is a fitting tribute that this year, on our World Spine Care Europe (WSCe) fundraising bike tour, we will pass so close to where Margareta lived for many years. The orange-brown colour of the hallway at the top of the stairs, where she would so often meet with us online to talk over ideas and the ongoing work within WSC and other organisations of which she was an integral part. The plan this summer was to meet up and have a meal with the cyclists as we made our way along the Loire Valley, close to Margareta’s home. She was excited to be a part of the ride—if not on a bike, then in some other way. Last summer, during a visit to Romorantin, we had even found and tested a restaurant to ensure its suitability for 15 hungry riders. It was! We will miss her company.
She was taller and more elegant than I had anticipated when we first met in person on our trip to India, and I was immediately struck by her warmth and friendliness. It was not a difficult task to work with her and quickly develop a relationship that was more than purely professional. She had the ability to befriend and make you feel immediately comfortable. Her ‘down-to-earth’ manner gave her the capacity to make you feel connected and at ease, that your voice and your opinions mattered and added important dimensions to the conversation (even if sometimes they did not and were not!). Working by her side in WSCe was a pleasure, being mentored by her was—and this may sound dramatic—life-changing, opening new avenues, opportunities, and perspectives.
It takes a certain type of person to dedicate their life to helping improve the lives of others. Some may do it through religious organisations, politics, or charities. Others, like Margareta, spend their lives in research and teaching, and of course, she was also deeply involved in charitable work. In so many ways, she was an ordinary lady going about daily life, but in what she achieved, she was extraordinary. The first female president of ISSLS and EUROSPINE, multiple professorships, and a leader for change in how musculoskeletal conditions are viewed and managed. Her advocacy and voice for a more integrated mode of care resulted in the establishment of educational programmes that are utilised worldwide and were an important part in the establishment of World Spine Care, of which she was an integral part.
She loved working with different people in differing cultures and confronting the challenges this brought. There was the recognition that each situation was unique and each person an individual who carried with them their beliefs and backgrounds, all of which required consideration. Her endeavour to promote equity so that all communities had relevant access to healthcare was apparent in her research and interactions, and she fought hard to achieve these ambitions. Companioning her desires to improve the provision of MSK healthcare globally was a steely determination to follow through, to do it correctly and efficiently. As with all who achieve so much in their lifetime, she was not to be pushed around, and if a ‘fight’ was necessary, the gloves were always polished and ready.
It is impossible to completely quantify her contributions to not only WSC but also other organisations and MSK research in general. It has been immense. Yet, there was never self-aggrandisement, just a humble recognition that she hoped that she had played her part in helping to develop the landscape that so many of us now work within. It was in the company of others that you could fully recognise the impact that she has had over the years. In India, there was always an atmosphere of reverential awe from students and staff that this author of so many papers and books that they learnt from would sit with them, talk to them, and teach them. There was never the feeling that she could not or should not be approached or questioned; she both welcomed and encouraged the interaction.
There will be many obituaries and memorials written about Margareta, many of which will honour her memory in the professional realm. These are so important in allowing people to recognise and learn of the impact that she has had over so many years on how we now view and care for people suffering with MSK conditions. I have not attempted to list her many achievements, but to give a very short personal insight and memory of a lady that so many of us came to love and respect, not only as an exceptional physiotherapist and researcher but as a beautiful person. I believe and hope that these recollections will resonate with those who knew her. She was always so grateful for our contributions, our insights, and our company. Although tinged with sadness, it is now our opportunity and honour to express our gratitude and love to her for enriching our lives and wish her Bon Voyage on her next adventure.
Each year, World Spine Care Europe holds a fundraising event involving a multi-day cycling trek across Europe. This year’s European Spine Ride will be held in her memory and renamed the Margareta Memorial Ride. The route will take the cyclists very close to her home in France. Donations to the ride will help support the clinic Margareta helped establish at the Mahatma Gandhi Mission School of Physiotherapy in Navi Mumbai, India.
