MD Local

A Sleep Doc Who Serves

Written by Diane Krieger | Photographed by Siri Berting

After treating patients with sleep apnea, acute lung disease and COVID-19 all week, Khalid Eltawil, MD, enjoys nothing more than a weekend filled with sudden deaths. No, he’s not the Jekyll-Hyde of pulmonary care. Eltawil is simply passionate about tennis.

“I try to play as much as possible—at least two to three times a week, mostly on the weekends,” says Dr. Eltawil, who is medical director of the Torrance Memorial Sleep Disorders Center and the hospital’s chief pulmonary physician.

All that exercise pays off in the bedroom. “I sleep great,” he says. “My wife is jealous. I go to bed even before my kids do—usually between 9 or 10 pm. When it’s time for me to sleep, ‘Good night, I’m out of here.’”

Dr. Eltawil starts his workday by 6 a.m., so he sets his alarm for 4:30 a.m. The hospital is well situated to feed his tennis mania: for a quick lunchtime workout, he can dash over to South End Racquet Club on Skypark Drive, where he’s a longtime member. Dr. Eltawil also belongs to Peninsula Racquet Club, which is closer to his Rolling Hills Estates home. But he mostly plays doubles on the backyard courts of friends on the hill.

When he can’t play, Dr. Eltawil binge-watches tennis matches on TV. “My kids say, ‘How can you spend hours looking at that yellow ball go back and forth?’ But I really can!” he says, speaking with a faint, hard-to-place accent.

The mystery accent is explained by an unusual childhood. Though he was born in Cairo, his family moved to Nigeria when he was a baby. His dad was an Egyptian accountant consulting for the Nigerian government. His mom was a journalist who later became an English teacher.

Dr. Eltawil and his two brothers grew up speaking English and Arabic. They attended a British school in the city of Kaduna, northern Nigeria’s industrial hub.

When the family returned to Egypt in 1984, the Eltawil boys completed high school and college through a Cairo-based satellite program of the University of London. Dr. Eltawil studied medicine at Cairo University and came to California for his residency and fellowship in pulmonary and critical care at USC. He's been at Torrance Memorial since 2003.

On weekends, when not playing or watching tennis, Dr. Eltawil makes himself useful around the house. A self-taught fixer who learns from YouTube videos, he’s always got some home improvement project underway. Two years ago, he sanded, primed and painted the large wooden back deck. “And I did a great job,” he says, preening.

One by one, he’s changed out all the outdoor electrical fixtures. His wife, Temara Elgammal, an avid gardener, relies on him to repair and reconfigure irrigation pipes and sprinklers.

Dr. Eltawil calls his wife “an amazing person.” They met in Michigan, where she was a medical student, and married soon after she graduated. But Temara never practiced medicine. “Instead she has dedicated her life to our kids,” Dr. Eltawil says proudly, noting that his wife is a former PTA president and Torrance Memorial Luminaries board member.

While Dr. Eltawil tinkers around the house, there’s usually hip-hop music thumping in the background. Michigan-reared Temara is a “big fan” and cranks up the volume as she prepares delicious family meals with her homegrown veggies. “She’s an amazing cook, and so is my son,” says Dr. Eltawil, whose children are his pride and joy. Dina, 18, “is very smart,” he says. A 2022 class valedictorian at Peninsula High, she starts at UC Santa Barbara in the fall, majoring in political science. Omar, 16, is a rising junior at Pen and a team leader in robotics.

“I spend as much time as I can with my kids because I realize they’ll soon be off on their way,” Dr. Eltawil says, wistfully. •

Vital Stats

Born: Cairo, Egypt, grew up in Kaduna, Nigeria Age: 51 Wife: Temara Elgammal Kids: Dina and Omar Pet: Bast-et (aka Bast), a ginger tabby “pandemic cat” Home: Rolling Hills Estates, near Rancho Vista Elementary School Favorite tennis racquets: Wilson and Babolat. “My kids make fun of me for the number of racquets I own,” he says, sheepishly. Latest count: 15 Other preferred tennis gear: Lotto and Yonex shoes; Nike apparel; Dunlop balls Favorite Middle Eastern dining: “If you want really good Middle Eastern food, my favorite is a tiny place called Cairo Cafe in Anaheim, right next to Disneyland. The food reminds me of what my mom used to make.” Locally, Dr. Eltawil favors Fanoos Grill, a Persian-style eatery in Rolling Hills Plaza. Another top pick: Desert Moon Grill in Anaheim, specializing in Lebanese fare.