COVID-19 takes the lives of two prominent Dayton physicians
The COVID-19 global pandemic, which took more than 18,000 lives in the state of Ohio and nearly 1,000 in Montgomery County alone, finally seems to be winding down. With the recent launch of three vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use, COVID-19 cases have begun dropping. And as more Ohioans get vaccinated, people have begun to have hope that normalcy and the life they had pre-pandemic will return soon.
Unfortunately, the vaccines came too late for two prominent physicians in Dayton, both of whom lived their lives with passion and purpose and will be remembered for their love of patients, family, friends and our community.
Dr. Mukul Chandra, medical director of preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation and vice chair of the cardiovascular service line at Premier Health, became one of the first people in the local area to contract COVID-19 in March after picking up his son, Shubham Chandra, from college once the lockdown was announced. The disease destroyed his lungs and though he was eventually put on a list for a transplant at the Cleveland Clinic, he never recovered and passed away on October 18, 2020, at just 57 years old.
During his life, he made a lasting difference on the people he encountered. After graduating from MS University of Baroda in India, Chandra eventually moved to the US with his wife, Dr. Arti Chandra, and Dayton ended up being their home for more years than any other place.
“He was passionate about cardiology like no one else I ever knew,” says Arti Chandra. “And he looked for that same spark in others and encouraged them to keep learning.”
Chandra went into private practice but also volunteered throughout the Dayton community, educating people about heart health and speaking on behalf of the American Heart Association and other groups.
Jeri Ward, who suffered a massive stroke at just 30 years old, met Dr. Chandra while recovering. She ended up taking a job with the local American Heart Association and developed a close, personal friendship with Chandra.
“He was an amazing father, husband, cardiologist and advocate,” Ward says. “So many times, I’ve been to his office and he offered me advice to help me succeed. He invested so much in me and I will be forever grateful.”
Though devoted to the “facts and figures” of cardiology, Chandra believed it was important to speak to everyone in terms that were easy to understand. Famous for carrying his model of a human artery with him to speaking engagements, Chandra believed it was best to give people a visual of what could happen on the inside if they choose to ignore their heart health.
“[The artery] was his favorite model to use,” says Chandra’s friend Scott Peters. “He asked me many times if I could find him a bigger one so people could see it easier. He was one of the most caring and dedicated doctors devoted to preventative cardiac medicine I’ve ever known.”
And Chandra not only talked the talk but also walked the walk. An avid runner who loved being outdoors, Chandra participated in local fundraising walks and runs, as well as the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati. When he got sick, he had been training to run his 20th marathon.
His older sister, Poonam C. Mittal, called him a “Braveheart,” whose seven-month long hospitalization and battle with COVID-19, couldn’t rob him of his smile and positive attitude.
“He was always the most helpful friend and physician for our extended family and friends and anyone who needed him, even strangers he met while traveling,” Mittal says.
Chandra’s wife, son and daughter Aayushi were overwhelmed by the response to a call for a plasma donor for Chandra early in the pandemic when very few people had developed COVID-19 antibodies. A social media post resulted in thousands of phone calls and a donor was found in 48 hours.
“This community rose up to the challenge to provide care and support to my husband and also to us,” Arti Chandra says. “We are, and forever will be, deeply grateful.”
Dr. Ayman El-Sheikh, of Washington Township, leader of the hematology and oncology division at Dayton Children’s, contracted COVID-19 in December while traveling out of the country. He lost his battle with the disease on February 3 of this year. Though initially hospitalized out of the country, his family worked with physicians to get him transferred to a hospital here in Ohio.
El-Sheikh, who was board certified in pediatrics and pediatric oncology, joined Dayton Children’s in 2015. He was especially interested in blood and marrow transplants and tumor treatment. He decided to devote himself to pediatric oncology after losing a good friend to cancer while they were both in college.
Cris Peterson, campaign development director for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) in Dayton, called Dr. El-Sheihk’s death “devastating.”
“Not only was Dr. El-Sheihk a wonderful supporter of LLS and our mission to cure blood cancers, but he was also a constant calming presence,” Peterson says. “He spent his life working to save the lives of others.”
While at Dayton Children’s, El-Sheikh championed new protocols that made treatments easier on his young patients. A huge advocate for the partnership between Dayton Children’s and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, El-Sheikh worked to establish a bone marrow transplant collaboration so local patients could receive care closer to home.
“Dr. El-Sheikh was continuously looking for the next and best way to take care of patients and families, but always had time to collaborate with his peers,” says Lauren Williams, physician liaison manager at Dayton Children’s. “His passion for his patients was unwavering and inspiring. I count myself lucky to have been able to know him and learn from him. We lost an incredible man and an outstanding physician.”
El-Sheikh loved his little patients. In his own words on a previously recorded video, El-Sheikh said he considered it a privilege to work with his “very special” kids fighting cancer.
“You get to be part of their life and when I see the smile on their face at the end of the treatment when they are cured, that’s the whole reward for me,” El-Sheikh said.
An avid gardener who enjoyed boxing and won several titles in the ring, El-Sheikh also loved traveling with his wife, Noha and children Salma, Yousef, Norhan and Reem.
