Haydar Frangoul
Matthew Simmons
Despite his impressive credentials, on any given day you might just see Dr. Haydar Frangoul playing Mario Kart with a patient.
Having done his residency at Duke and fellowship at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Frangoul was recruited to Vanderbilt in 1999 to start a pediatric bone marrow/stem cell transplant center. Then, in January 2015 he moved to Tristar Centennial Medical Center to become director of the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Center.
It was in medical school at the American University of Beirut that the Lebanon-born Frangoul became interested in oncology; during his fellowship working with both adults and children with cancer, he knew that treating pediatric patients would be his life’s work.
“The kids inspire me every day,” says Dr. Frangoul. “They are strong, courageous, and smart and adapt well to the treatments.
“Children are resilient, partially because their bodies and their organs are young and strong,” he continues. “They can begin to feel better very quickly after they start treatment. It’s an amazing process to watch.”
Obviously, Frangoul acknowledges, not every child is going to make it . However, he is buoyed by the childhood cancer cure rates which are between 85 and 90 percent. “The field has moved so fast in 20 years. Treatments now look quite different, and give better results.”
According to Frangoul, the family is an important factor in a pediatric patient’s treatment.
“The diagnosis of cancer does not just affect the child alone; treatments become a full-time job for one parent, so it changes the dynamic in the household, often creating financial stress.”
The specialist says he is often asked how he can do what he does, given the sad connotations a sick child brings to mind.
“I respond that these kids are fun and inspiring,” says Frangoul. “Our clinic becomes like a family. We try to make it as fun and tolerable as possible, with the help of our child life staff.”
“It’s really a big playground here,” he adds.
Haydar Frangoul, 615-342-7339; tristarchildrensspecialists.com