The emotional story told by bereaved fiancé of Nigeria’s unsung Ebola hero
It came as a shock to Nigerians when Dennis Akagha revealed the death of his fiancée, Justina Ejelonu, a pregnant nurse who sacrificed her life while caring for Nigeria’s index Ebola virus disease case, Patrick Sawyer.
Dennis took to his Twitter account to reveal that Justina was a nurse at Lagos-based First Consultants Medical Centre, where Sawyer, an Ebola-positive Liberian diplomat, had visited when he arrived in Nigeria in July 2014.
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Daily Times recalls that Justina’s boss, Dr Ameyo Adadevoh, who was on duty the day Sawyer arrived at the hospital and who allegedly stopped Patient Zero from leaving the hospital, was widely acknowledged after her death in August 2014.
Expressing sadness, Dennis recounts that Justina’s name has since faded.
“My pain is not just because she died a very painful death, but years after her death, it was as if only one person was the reason why Ebola did not spread as much as it could have. Justina sacrificed her own life taking care of Patrick Sawyer on her first day of work.”
Dennis lamented that other players, including the pregnant Justina who also succumbed to the infection following her encounter with Sawyer, had remained unsung.
Daily Times gathered that Akagha had also contracted the virus from his pregnant fiancée but he later recovered.
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Dennis’s expression led to emotional responses from Twitter users.
“May God comfort you, Dennis. Justina has done her bit; she has played her part. She will forever remain a heroine. She will not be forgotten. May her soul continue to rest in peace,” wrote Oluwatoyin Ibitoye (@Toyin_Ibitoye).
“I’m so sorry Nigeria failed Justina. I’m so sorry Nigeria failed you. I’m so sorry Nigeria failed those we know nothing about. They didn’t die for nothing. Their sacrifice has kept us till today. Thank you for sharing. Love and light”, wrote user @PissyMissy95.
