Saturday night/Sunday morning 9/21/14. As I sit and think, my mind now goes constantly to the Ebola crisis in Monrovia, Liberia. this is because there is one hospital open, providing care to 420,000 people that “do not” have Ebola, and another two that provide care to those that do. A friend of mine, James Appel, is there and helping Dr. Gillian and others care for the countless numbers of people that come in to Cooper Hospital. Some have been refused from the Ebola hospitals that are overrun with patients. They want their sick relative cared for and so try to get them into Cooper Hospital. As you know from my last email, I’ve been asked to go help there in a dangerous area of the globe. dangerous, not because of threat of war or civil unrest, but dangerous because of Ebola. It is estimated that 2800 people have died of ebola in this viral outbreak. The WHO predicts the number may rise to 20,000 by November unless plans to tackle the outbreak do not change it’s current trajectory. It is a disease communicated by body fluids- sweat, blood, urine, vomit, diarrhea… When the disease is contracted it currently has a 70% mortality rate, and there is no treatment except supportive care.
It is with this backdrop that I have been praying and wanting to know God’s will in what I should do. At this time(Sunday) Audrey and I are at peace with me going and volunteering in Cooper Hospital. We have decided that I should go, and go in 1 week! I have already asked a travel agent to look into flights from here to Monrovia for next week. This is when James will be leaving Cooper and leaves Gillian and the surgical staff, severely short handed. I have also contacted insurance salesmen to try and get life insurance, so if the worst were to happen, at least our significant school debt and our house debt would be covered. I am thinking of updating my will. I am not afraid to die as I am confident where my future lies, but want my family covered, as much as possible.
I realize i have not gotten my Liberian Visa yet! so i find my passport, some old 2×2 photos, and print out the visa application and fill it out. With each step the realization of what Im inbarking on settles deeper. Ive started a list of items I want to take.
Monday 9/22
I awake early, well before my alarm. I have surgeries to do today, but that’s not on my mind much. it is the countless other things that need to be done. The travel agent has not gotten back with me. I head to work and ask Audrey (who happens to be off today) to get my paperwork to FedEx and send it to get the visa. Between surgeries I call Butler travel and try to set down more specifics on dates and times. I am calling the medical board and health department for their opinion on how long to not work after returning from an area that has Ebola. I suspect when I am in Liberia, they may have a better idea of timing, but want to plan ahead. I finish my surgeries for the day and head home. I get a call from the insurance agent, she says that the insurance underwriters cannot sell life insurance to a person traveling to an epidemic area! I feel like a weight has landed on me. I at least want my family covered financially.
In the evening I get a call from a friend who has just heard that Cooper hospital is closing temporarily. I have instant relief and dread. Relief because I will not go and be exposed to the worst disease and epidemic ever, and dread, that all those people in the capital of Liberia now will have no medical care except at the Ebola hospitals! Do they take care of non-ebola patients? If a non-ebola patient comes to them in labor, with appendicitis, with typhoid, malaria… are they then exposed to Ebola and worsen their chances of survival? Questions haunt me that will likely not be answered.
So we remain in a stopped or ?holding pattern. Life/work here go on. I have been praying for James and Gillian many times a day for the past 6 weeks. I continue. Jesus, give them peace in what they are doing and protection from this terrible disease. Lord it appears the door has been slammed shut, but there is an opening in the near future. help me to know YOUR will and to follow it! Jesus, help James, Gillian, myself, Audrey…and others that are considering helping at Cooper Hospital in Liberia. Pray for Audrey and I, that we would do Gods will in our lives.