Stockbridge native, no stranger to trauma, serves on COVID-19 team

L-R: Dr. Jaffer Odeh and Dr. Chris Choi, another anesthesiology critical care physician working in the COVID ICU. “It’s easy to think that all of this is exaggerated when we’re just looking at numbers on the news,” says Odeh. “Numbers don’t really mean anything to us conceptually. But when you see it firsthand, you realize how awful this disease is.”

by Patrice Johnson

Watching somebody walk into the hospital under their own power and then completely decompensate in just a matter of hours to the point of requiring the placement of a breathing tube connected to a ventilator is very sobering. Despite mechanical ventilation, many of these people simply can’t get oxygen into their lungs, and they go on to experience multisystem organ failure and death within days. The entire process is terrible to see and makes all of the difficult life changes we’ve had to make recently very much worth it if we can prevent this illness from affecting others.

This gripping observation of local son Jaffer Odeh, MD, provides a glimpse into the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on medical professionals and on its victims across the nation. Odeh, an anesthesiology critical care physician, works in the COVID-19 intensive care unit of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. One could argue that his life-changing traumas as a youth growing up in rural Stockbridge and while in medical school in Ann Arbor uniquely equipped him for this challenging role.

In May 1998, just one week shy of graduating from Stockbridge schools where he had been a student since kindergarten, Odeh suffered a severe auto accident. His neck was broken and his spinal cord injured, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

“It was an incredibly difficult time in my life,” the 39-year-old physician recalled and then immediately expressed appreciation for the support of his family and friends, saying, “I am truly grateful to all of them to this day.”

Jeff Wisman, his high-school friend and college roommate, put it this way. “Jaffer has always been an inspiration. He overcame tremendous difficulties to dedicate himself to saving lives.”

Perhaps Odeh’s grit and grateful spirit account for his resilience. Having received his acceptance letter prior to the accident—and despite undergoing a long, arduous recovery process—he attended the University of Michigan and, in 2003, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Spanish and microbiology.

Others may have been tempted to rest on their laurels, but not Odeh. As far back as he could recall, he had aspired to become a doctor—felt it was a calling—so he applied to U-M medical school, was admitted, and began his studies. Then tragedy struck again.

During his second year as a medical student, his father lost a long battle against lung cancer.

“During our time together,” Odeh recalled, “he taught me a lot about what a patient expects from their doctor and the little things that someone can do to be considered a great doctor. I took all of those lessons to heart.”

In 2007, nine years after the accident that bound him to a wheelchair, Odeh was awarded a Doctor of Medicine degree and became Jaffer Odeh, MD.

Fast forward to today, and coworker Kristina Goff, Assistant Professor at University of Texas Southwestern, describes Odeh as a natural leader, compassionate, and collaborative. “He is tremendously dedicated to his patients and the one person I want on my team every single time,” she said.

Odeh credits the lessons he learned from his setbacks for helping him face the challenges of the current pandemic. He is working around the clock to ensure details are not overlooked and to keep staff and patients safe—no small task, since preparations for the COVID-19 response are incredibly complex.

“We don’t want to take anything for granted,” he explained, “as the simplest mistake can cost the lives of countless patients, faculty, and staff.”

Perhaps it is Odeh’s intimate understanding of mortality that accounts for his indefatigable efforts and empathy. But these attributes come at a price. If a University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center employee becomes ill, Odeh takes it as a personal failure. Most stressful, he says, is the task of “trying to provide optimal medical care to sick and frightened patients while maintaining the safety of colleagues and friends.”

Jaffer Odeh, MD, pictured with wife Lindsey, Cameron (left) 4, Kaiden (right) 7, and Ava, 2, on the doctor’s lap. Typically, children don’t have mature coping mechanisms, “so the same fear, uncertainty, and sadness that adults are feeling, our children are experiencing too, but these may manifest as misbehavior, tantrums, and violence.”

On a personal level, the Coronavirus pandemic is affecting Odeh’s life much as it is affecting others across the country. He and wife Lindsey live in a shelter-at-home area with their children Kaiden, 7; Cameron, 4; and Ava, 2. All non-essential businesses are closed.

“I am constantly working, but my wife is trying to work full time from home while home- schooling our three kids,” he said. “It doesn’t help that younger children can’t fully grasp the concept of a pandemic and its implications, and this makes it hard for them to cope with what’s going on.”

Typically, children don’t have mature coping mechanisms, “so the same fear, uncertainty, and sadness that adults are feeling, our children are experiencing too, but these may manifest as misbehavior, tantrums, and violence. This is all very difficult for both parents and children.”

Odeh emphasizes that, overall, he believes people understand the importance of sheltering in place and have done a great job complying. “I can’t stress enough how important it is to stay at home, maintain social distancing, and perform frequent handwashing.”

Admittedly, the loss of freedom and the impact of change on daily routines is a hard pill to swallow. Is it worth it?

“Yes,” Odeh stated emphatically. “It is, without a doubt, saving lives. It’s easy to think that all of this is exaggerated when we’re just looking at numbers on the news,” he said. “Numbers don’t really mean anything to us conceptually. But when you see it firsthand, you realize how awful this disease is.”

Like most Americans, Odeh has never experienced anything similar to this pandemic. “One of the most fantastic parts of all of this is how so many people from so many diverse backgrounds have come together to work toward a common goal,” he said. “I have been humbled by the selflessness of countless people, and it has restored my faith in humanity.”

His mother, Fay Odeh, lives in the area and owns Steve’s Ranch, a restaurant in Jackson, Mich. His seven other siblings span the U.S., from New York City to Hawaii.

“I loved growing up in Stockbridge, and I return with my family as often as possible,” the physician said. “There’s nothing like growing up in a small town where everybody knows everybody, and you can truly feel like you belong. No one gets lost in the shuffle in a place like Stockbridge.”

He also spoke fondly of Michigan in general. “It’s such a wonderful place—one of the most beautiful states in the country, and we love to vacation there.” He tells others about how great Michigan is. “But not too many people, of course. I selfishly want it to remain a secret.”

Acquaintances sometimes comment to Odeh that they could never have gone through what he has experienced. He dismisses the notion.

“I think anybody could have done it. We underestimate our abilities to survive and to succeed. Sometimes we just need to be reminded that things aren’t as bad as we might perceive them. The one thing that got me through a lot of rough patches was to stop and think about how things could always have been worse. We really have to be grateful for what we do have and not worry too much about what we don’t have.”

To cope with setbacks Odeh suggests, “Always believe in your ability to overcome. Don’t be foolish enough to think you won’t have bad days or even extended periods of time that are terribly difficult. Even so, believe in your ability to overcome.”

Perhaps keeping a healthy sense of humor is key too. When asked why he chose to specialize in anesthesia, Odeh grinned. “There is nothing better than watching somebody who is filled with anxiety before surgery relax and laugh at one of my awful jokes!”