When Miriam was a freshman in college, she became acutely ill at the end of the first semester and landed in the school infirmary for a week. Although there was no diagnosis and no antibiotic treatment, in retrospect the symptoms indicated it was probably strep throat. Miriam did get over it and went back to school.

Her illness had actually been the culmination of a turbulent year. As a senior in high school, she had developed full body hives that were treated with prednisone. Then, the summer before college, her boyfriend was paralyzed after breaking his neck. Even though she was soon off to college, Miriam was dedicated to helping him through the tragedy. She 'poured everything into giving him a lift' that first year away.