Riley physician honored as a “patient of courage”

By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org

It took Michael Goodman a while to love the man in the mirror, but once he embraced his true self – inside and out – he found he had a lot to give, to teach and to learn.

Now he is Dr. Goodman, a pediatric hospitalist at Riley Hospital for Children, where he is beloved by families and team members for his compassion and his gentle bedside manner.

The physician, an Indiana native and graduate of IU School of Medicine, was born with Treacher Collins syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by underdevelopment of the cheekbones, jaw and ears, often leading to breathing, feeding and hearing difficulties.

He lost count of the surgeries he had over the years – first in Chicago, near his home as a child in northwestern Indiana, then in Minnesota and Michigan.

He attempted suicide twice as a senior in high school but found his way through the darkness, thanks to psychiatric help and the support of his parents and sister.

“They didn’t know the extent to which I was suffering mentally,” he said. “I didn’t really tell anyone until I hit my breaking point.”

As a young person, he had no interest in embarking on a career in medicine. He’d had his fill of doctors.

“With all the appointments I had as a kid, I figured I paid my dues,” he said.

Eventually, however, he realized he had something unique to offer.

“I came to patient care because of my lived experience as a patient,” he said. “We all have something to offer based on our life experiences.”

Now 45, Dr. Goodman was recently named a Patient of Courage by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, who said he “turned his journey of surgeries and bullying into a mission, sparked by a viral social media post.”

He wrote that post in the days following the release of “Wonder,” a book (2012) and movie (2017) about a boy with Treacher Collins syndrome who was starting school for the first time.

“I cried when I read it,” the physician said about the book, which spurred many around the world to share their own stories of craniofacial differences. “At that moment, I realized I’m comfortable sharing this part of my life. It was the beginning of my acceptance.”

That post gained a lot of attention, as well as invitations to speak at schools. As of last year, he estimates he has talked to more than 30,000 kids in a school setting.

News of the recognition from ASPS took him by surprise, he said.

“You don’t expect to win these things. When I found out, I was a little shocked.”

Along with that shock, though, came a sense of accomplishment that he shares with the people in his life.

“I see it as more of a recognition of the people who have helped me along the way in my life and my career,” he said. “I’m nowhere without them. My parents, my sister, friends, the medical team who worked on me, and the medical team I work with now as a doctor. It’s a tribute to all of them.”

As a hospitalist, Dr. Goodman rounds on patients in most inpatient units except for critical care. He brings his perspective as a former patient to his role as a physician.

“It translates to my bedside manner,” he said. “I learned from interacting with doctors as a kid. It makes me stop and think about what it’s like to be that patient in that bed and have a bunch of adults sometimes wearing scary-looking gowns and masks looking down at you.”

While he talks about the medical plan with his patients, he also asks them questions – about their favorite cartoon or what they like to do after school, or what they want to be when they grow up – the humanistic side of medicine, he said.

Colleagues who’ve seen him in action are among his biggest fans.

“One of the best,” said pediatric heart transplant coordinator Maegan Boehm.

“Blessed to know this amazing friend! Keep doing what you’re doing, Michael Goodman,” said 9 East nurse Angela Parsley. “We all need to have more compassion for one another.”

And celebrate your differences, Dr. Goodman said.

“Be comfortable with who you are, and just be you. If that means being a little quirky, a little weird, that’s OK. I think that makes the world a better place.”

Photos submitted and by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org