Happy New Year!

The 11 year old boy, Ujeh, who had been in the confirmed side of the ETU since I arrived finally got his negative blood results and went home! It was a time of celebration when he found out he was going home. Before his results came in, a 14 year old girl came in positive and we admitted her to the unit. Her mother died two weeks ago of ebola and she recently started having symptoms. She is a beautiful girl. I had no idea what to expect when I was suiting up in my PPE to meet the ambulance. This was the first confirmed ebola patient I was going to admit and Ujeh, even though he was positive, he didn’t look it. He had gone through the worst before I arrived and I did not witness that part of it. Although she was strong enough to walk, I could see the fear in her. Who wouldn’t be afraid, and yet a child, all alone. Her mother recently died of a disease killing so many and into her village pulled a truck, an ambulance. A truck with blue and orange tarps to form an enclosed area in the back. She was put back there alone and was being taken to a place she did not know, alone. Getting out of the ‘ambulance’ she was meet by a man spraying her every step and dressed so all she could see were his eyes. She rounded into the triage area and when I asked her name I was glad she could understand English. Patience. Her name is Patience. Such a beautiful name for this scared girl. After the initial triage we walked across the ETU to the confirmed side of the ward, the sprayer spraying every step. I learned she is in the fifth grade and likes math. The other nurse who was there and the sprayer were so encouraging to her and as we were getting ready to leave her the sprayer asked if we could pray with her. She said yes and we prayed. Walking out and leaving her in her room was hard. Ujeh was there which was good that she could see him better and about to leave well, but it was hard imagining what she was thinking and feeling. Alone in this large tent in a small room with grey tarp walls. 

I went in and saw her twice yesterday. She was not feeling well in the morning but felt better as the day went on. Her blood tests came back in the afternoon and it looks as though she is already improving.