Dr Ada Igonoh’s heart-wrenching tale of steadfast faith while she was an Ebola patient, inspired many Nigerians to hold on to the power of miracles when faced with life’s daunting challenges. In this interview Dr Ada Igonoh shares her survival story, lessons learnt and why she is a woman of rubies
How it all began
On the 20th of July, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian diplomat flew into Lagos from Monrovia. When he got to Lagos, it was discovered that he was unwell and weak. He was subsequently brought to First Consultants Medical Centre, Obalende, where I work. He was brought to our hospital because he was being hosted by ECOWAS and all ECOWAS staff in Lagos uses our hospital. When he got to the hospital, he was seen by the doctor on call who took his blood samples and tested for malaria which was positive. Mr. Patrick Sawyer denied contact with an Ebola patient or attending a funeral service within 3 weeks prior to his presentation at the hospital. Unknown to us, he had just buried his younger sister, Princess who died of Ebola in a Catholic hospital in Monrovia, Liberia. We couldn’t fully understand why he chose to hide such relevant information if he really wanted to be helped. We didn’t doubt that he knew he had Ebola at the time he came to our hospital because his behavior was odd. He was admitted as a case of malaria but was not responding to treatment, which made us begin to suspect that he may have Ebola. On the second day of his admission, I was the doctor on duty. He called to see a doctor that evening and I went into his room to see him. He complained that he had been stooling and vomiting that day. I noticed his IV bag was on the bed so I picked it up and hung it in the drip stand and left the room. I then washed my hands and informed Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh of the patient’s condition.
“I found him dead”
On the 22nd of July, 2014, we took blood samples to test for Ebola and informed the Lagos State and Federal Ministry of Health that we had a suspected case of Ebola. The patient then started mounting pressure on us to be released to attend an ECOWAS convention in Calabar. The hospital administration led by Dr. Ohiaeri refused to let him leave. On the 25th of July, 2014, after his condition worsened, I found him dead in his toilet and that was more or less the beginning of panic and anxiety. His result had come out the night before his death as positive for Ebola. He was cremated that same day according to WHO guidelines and the hospital discharged every single patient in the wards and was shut down for 2 months for decontamination.
Discovering I had Ebola
I had already begun to suspect that I may have contracted Ebola because I was ill and not responding to treatment. Slowly, my temperature started to rise and it was not until I had a fever and vomited and started stooling as well that I knew the reality of the matter. At the time, I was still very positive that it may not be Ebola and so when I was informed that I tested positive, I was shocked but not as shocked as I could have been if I didn’t suspect. I had peace that surpassed all understanding and I did not feel defeated by the news.
Having personal contact with Sawyer
I was terrified. I immediately started to recount my days with him while he was on admission. I kept searching my memory to be sure of how much close contact I had with him, all the while convincing myself that my contact with him was minimal and nothing to be so worried about, but I was wrong. It was such a tense period for me, because now it was a waiting game. I was required to wait for 21 days to heave a sigh of relief, but 8 days into my surveillance period of 21 days, I tested positive. I didn’t want to die and I knew how serious having Ebola was. People were dying every day in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Lessons learnt from the experience
I have learnt to always be thankful no matter the situation. I have learnt to appreciate life and to understand that only the living can live, life is not for the dead. This has affected my life in such as way that I live each day happily as much as possible. I value my family members more because they stuck by me throughout my ordeal. How many people would dare visit an Ebola patient? People are so afraid for their lives that they would rather pray for you at home. My family showed a great deal of optimism even in the face of death. I am grateful for my husband, mother, father and siblings. I have learnt to depend on God more than I ever did. He was and is my healer, my sustenance and my all in all. I have learnt to laugh more, play more, be more empathic, to not take life so seriously that i forget to enjoy it. I have decided not to live a life of mediocrity, because there’s a lot that I have to give and a lot that have been given to me. To whom much is given, much is expected.
My believe in God
Faith in God and his word made me believe I will be healed. I believed there was more to my life and that I was not going to die under that circumstance. I counted on God to see me through to the end and he did. Nothing else gave me assurance of life.
Faith over fear
Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. I had to believe I would survive against all odds. The faith of the woman with the issue of blood in the bible made her whole. Without faith, it is impossible to please God, so if you go to God, you must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. The word of God told me that God was interested in healing me. Not only was he interested in healing me, he was able and willing to do so too, all I had to do was believe. Jesus bore our sins when He died on the cross and he took whipping and beatings so that I can be free of sickness and disease. My faith was like a hedge around me, protecting me and giving me support.
The Psychological effects of losing my boss and colleagues
I was deeply hurt by the death of Dr. Adadevoh, Dr. Abaniwo, Nurse Ejelonu, Nurse Aide Ukoh and all the others who passed on but I have come to realize that God knows best no matter what.
Measures taken to stop the vomiting
I initially started taking Imodium to stop the diarrhea but when I got to the isolation centre, I was informed by the WHO doctor that I should stop taking the Imodium because I needed to let the viruses out. I was not given any drug to stop the vomiting. I was rather instructed to take at least 4.5 liters of Oral Rehydration Solution daily to keep up my fluid levels but even that was not sufficient sometimes because of the quantity of fluids I was losing, so I used my clinical knowledge to determine my intake. I counted my pulse regularly and monitored the color of my urine. If it was concentrated, it meant I had to increase my fluid intake until my urine became less concentrated. If I had a parched throat, I also drank more ORS.I studied Ebola online and learnt that dehydration was a main cause of death in Ebola, so I would usually take a bottle of ORS with me to the toilet to drink while stooling. I also had it by my bedside permanently for frequent gulps.
The miracle
I was overwhelmed with happiness when I discovered the virus had cleared from my system. I was overjoyed. It was a confirmation of God’s faithfulness.
Being a woman of rubies
Ruby is a precious gem usually very hard and expensive. A woman of rubies is a strong woman of substance, worth and priceless. I am a woman of worth, substance and I am priceless not because of my abilities ,but because of the God I serve.