Dr. Rick Hodes, a member of the WILL WORK FOR FOOD board, visited Ann Arbor Monday (2/15/10) to give a talk at the University of Michigan about his work in Ethiopia. Dr. Hodes has been highlighted by CNN “Heroes” program and is the subject of an HBO documentary coming out in April. Hodes first went to Africa in 1984 as a relief worker during the Ethiopian Famine and was hired by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in 1990 to head up their work in Ethiopia. He is currently a Senior Attending Physician at Mother Theresa’s Mission in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa where he treats 20-25 patients a day – for free.
“Dr. Hodes is by far the most selfless man I've ever met and his work is inspirational,” said U-M freshman Todd Siegal, “He sees an issue, a complication, a child in need, and he acts immediately.”
Dr. Hodes has dedicated his life to helping Ethiopians in desperate need of care. It is as if the entire country knows he is the man to go to for help. He doesn’t seek out patients, he doesn’t advertise his services, and he doesn’t have a website. However, because of his ever-growing reputation, patients come from as far as 400 miles away to knock on Dr. Hodes’ door.
Because funding is always tight, Dr. Hodes has had to get creative when it comes to treating his patients. “I started out giving chemotherapy on my front porch [in Ethiopia],” said Dr. Hodes, “and I really like medicines from India because they are only about 8% of the cost of American drugs.”
A natural storyteller, Dr. Hodes’ tales kept the packed auditorium of over 250 people captivated throughout his entire presentation. Dr. Hodes spoke about two boys who suffered from Pott’s disease, a version of tuberculosis that affects the spine. One’s back jutted out at a 90° angle while the other’s was at 120°. This was a case that not even Dr. Hodes could treat. Rather than rejecting the boys into a world where they didn’t stand no chance, he found a way to help. Dr. Hodes adopted the kids, allowing him to add the boys to his medical insurance and fly them to Dallas for surgery. He has adopted three more kids to his family and has started sending them to high school in the United States.
“When I came to hear Dr. Hodes talk, I knew nothing of what he did or how many lives he has dedicated himself to saving,” said Jonathan Rubins, “As I left the building, I felt a sense of awe. He is a testament to the perennial truth that a great impact can be made by sole individuals.”
WILL WORK FOR FOOD co-sponsored the event with the University of Michigan’s Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Hillel, Global REACH and Ginsberg Center. WILL WORK FOR FOOD aims to stimulate local community service while raising relief funds to fight child malnutrition abroad.
According to the CEO of WILL WORK FOR FOOD, Steve Weinberg, “Malnutrition is often referred to as the ‘Silent Killer’ in the international aid community because it does not receive the same amount of media attention as natural disasters or armed conflicts. This is part of the reason why we are so inspired by Dr. Hodes’ work of ‘helping people nobody else is interested in.’"
We will be posting a video of Dr. Hodes' talk on our site soon.
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