Sister of Pa. doctor hailed as hero in Nigeria

WALLINGFORD, Pa. (WPVI) -- The number of those being infected by the Ebola virus would undoubtedly be higher were it not for one doctor in Nigeria who almost single-handedly stopped the virus from spreading in that country.

In Nigeria, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh is seen as a hero. The doctor prevented the spread of Ebola and paid with her life.

Her sister, Dr. Ama Adadevoh, lives in Wallingford, Pa.

"She was very courageous, but unfortunately paid the ultimate sacrifice with her life when she passed away from the disease," Ama said.

It was back in July that Liberian diplomat Patrick Sawyer entered the country and arrived at her hospital after falling ill. A junior doctor misdiagnose him as having malaria, but Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh suspected Ebola even though she had never treated anyone with the virus.

"He denied having any contact with anybody who had Ebola and he said he wanted to be discharged because he had come to Nigeria to attend a conference," Ama said.

Sawyer failed to say that he had been with his sister before she died from Ebola and instead demanded to be released.

"The patient and the Liberian government put my sister under tremendous pressure to discharge him and they said they would sue her because she was violating his human rights," Ama said.

Ameyo refused, isolating the patient protecting her and her staff as best they could even though they did not the proper protective gear.

Two days later, blood tests confirmed he had Ebola and by the end of the week, he was dead. Less than a month later, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh and 8 others also died from the dreaded disease.

"I'm upset that the country unfortunately wasn't ready for the outbreak and she paid the price," Ama said.

Today. Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh and her staff are being credited for keeping Nigeria Ebola-free. She is seen by many there as a national hero and a nonprofit trust fund has been established in her name to support health care in Nigeria.

Dr. Ama Adadevoh hopes her sister's story will inspire the rest of the world to realize that doctors must fight the disease in West Africa to keep it from spreading around the world.

"It comforts me a little bit. There's still a lot of pain because she's gone and the loss is deep. I feel my life with never be the same without my sister. But the fact that she's being recognized as a hero gives me a lot of comfort," Ama said.