As Ebola continues to dismantle communities across West Africa, the community of Ebola survivors continues to grow. Within this community are survivors who are raising their voices to help curb the outbreak, address key challenges, and better fellow survivors’ experiences when they return home. One such advocate is 24-year-old mother and student, Aminata Kargbo.
Like hundreds of West Africans afflicted with Ebola, Aminata contracted the virus by caring for a sick relative and coming into contact with the corpse. Thinking her aunt was dying of malaria, typhoid, or any number of other West African diseases that mimic the early symptoms of Ebola, Aminata did not realize that she was putting herself at risk by trying to help. Seven days later, she fell ill with a persistent fever. Fortunately, she immediately consulted a doctor, took an Ebola test, and was admitted to the Hastings Ebola Treatment Center (ETC) as a confirmed Ebola patient.
Thanks to her early reporting of symptoms and commitment to her treatment plan, Aminata recovered from Ebola and was discharged from the ETC on November 29, 2014, after 14 days of care. Sadly, her mother and unborn baby sister died of the virus while Aminata was at Hastings. Despite her losses, Aminata has pushed on with her life and emerged as a key advocate in the promotion of early treatment. Now engaged in various Ebola awareness efforts, Aminata has spoken at dozens of gatherings where she has used her own story to educate her fellow Sierra Leoneans on the importance of reporting symptoms swiftly and accessing specialized care as soon as possible.
