Tuesday, September 16, 2014 11:16 pm
My parents and two brothers were under surveillance for 21 days and they completed the surveillance successfully. None of them came down with a fever. The house had been disinfected by Lagos State Ministry of Health soon after I was taken to the isolation centre. I thank God for shielding them from the plague.
My recovery after discharge has been gradual but progressive. I thank God for the support of family and friends. I remember my colleagues who we lost in this battle. Dr. Adadevoh my boss, Nurse Justina Ejelonu, and the ward maid, Mrs. Ukoh were heroines who lost their lives in the cause to protect Nigeria. They will never be forgotten.
I commend the dedication of the W.H.O doctors, Dr. David from Virginia, USA, who tried several times to convince me to specialize in infectious diseases, Dr. Carolina from Argentina who spoke so calmly and encouragingly, Mr. Mauricio from Italy who always offered me apples and gave us novels to read. I especially thank the volunteer Nigerian doctors, matrons and cleaners who risked their lives to take care of us. I must also commend the Lagos State government, and the state and federal ministries of health for their swift efforts to contain the virus. To all those prayed for me, I cannot thank you enough. And to my First Consultants family, I say a heartfelt thank you for your dedication and for your support throughout this very difficult period.
I still believe in miracles. None of us in the isolation ward was given any experimental drugs or so-called immune boosters. I was full of faith yet pragmatic enough to consume as much ORS as I could even when I wanted to give up and throw the bottles away. I researched on the disease extensively and read accounts of the survivors. I believed that even if the mortality rate was 99%, I would be part of the 1% who survive.
Early detection and reporting to hospital is key to patient survival. Please do not hide yourself if you have been in contact with an Ebola patient and have developed the symptoms. Regardless of any grim stories one may have heard about the treatment of patients in the isolation centre, it is still better to be in the isolation ward with specialist care, than at home where you and others will be at risk.
I read that Dr. Kent Brantly, the American doctor who contracted Ebola in Liberia and was flown out to the United States for treatment was being criticized for attributing his healing to God when he was given the experimental drug, Zmapp. I don’t claim to have all the answers to the nagging questions of life. Why do some die and some survive? Why do bad things happen to good people? Where is God in the midst of pain and suffering? Where does science end and God begin? These are issues we may never fully comprehend on this side of eternity. All I know is that I walked through the valley of the shadow of death and came out unscathed.
.Igonoh’s story was originally published by BellaNaija.
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19 Comments
Ooh! That was great!! Thanks God, praise the Lord.
Jesus is indeed the final answer to all issues and problems.
Now is the time to take Dr. David’s advise and go into infectious disease specialization
Publishers, filmmakers have a non-fiction thriller in their hands. Never knew a medical doctor could demonstrate such a marvellous writing skill, penning an unputdownable account of a near death experience. Ada, you are simply great. And congrats that you shamed Ebola to tell your story.
The Doctors treat but God heals. By his stripes you ‘WERE’ healed Ada. God bless and keep you. Amen.
Praise God. The power of death is broken. This is a clear testimony that this deadly seemingly in curable disease can be conquered. Hallelujah. I am particularly grateful to God for Nigeria. Inspite of all the happenings, I am greatly proud to be a Nigerian! Thank God for deliverance and recovery. I pray that this affliction or similar one will not come to Nigeria again.
Your faith in God and work (i.e. drinking the ORS even when you felt like not) saved you, you are alive for a testimony……who say there is no God? i thank God for your life
Congratulations ! You sailed through.
God is of a truth faithful. Faith works, works wonders. I commend your brave attitude and your faith that you put to work via meditation and research. Not loosing hope when passing through the valley of the shadow of death. God bless all those that stood by you too.
To God alone be all the glory.
hmmm, wat a story….at some point my eyes got all misty, am so touched by your bravery. i have learnt so much. But one thing i understand is that ORT or not ORT your getting better and overcoming this disease is nobody’s doing other than God. he is a great healer… you said so yourself u had just minimal contact, the case of a boy who was in a room with an ebola patient and never contacted d disease…its amazing but in all i thank God for you. congrats
JESUS!
i appreciate your write-up. one, you never attributed your survival to act of magic as claimed by many miracle preachers. God made you follow the rule of consuming the ort as prescribed by the medical experts and this allowed time for the natural immunity re-growth. Miracle do exist but awareness and knowledge is also needed. maybe that’s why God didn’t create man a robot.
Dr Ada, your faith healed. We thank God for you giving you a new life. In your situation, you were not selfish in your thoughts, you still were concerned about your family at home, ensuring that no one went into your room. You did not give up hope, you prayed, researched, encouraged others and emerged victorious. I am so proud of all the staff of 1st Consultant medical centre, God delivered Nigerians from this deadly virus through your staff. May the good Lord that delivered you all from this deadly virus continue to guide, guard and protect you all. I am so proud of the medical team at the hospital , it was a great loss – the death of Dr Adadevoh, Nurse Justina and Mrs Okoh. May they rest in perfect peace Amen.
This is quite a story. Ada Igonoh you are my hero. I am so sorry about your friends and colleagues this terrible horrible incident took. I am so ashamed of Patrick Sawyer for his
selfish recklessness that endangered so many.
Ada your testimony revives my faith in humanity. Your selfless consideration in the midst of
despair and imminent dissolution, how did you even gather your thoughts to warn your mother to barricade folks from entering your room at that point as you did…facing your mortality but thinking of others.
Mankind is better because of people like you. How you and your friends at First Consultants Medical Centre are not accorded world recognition for how you guys navigated
through this incident leaves one wondering.
We could easily be talking about tens and hundreds of thousands in a population like Lagos has it not been for you and your friends. This is why I would hope that Churchill’s
quote that never in the history of man has so much been owed by so many to so
few is really proper here.
I wish our path would cross so that I could get the privilage to personally say to you how grateful I am of people like you. I am faintly religious but my wish and thoughts for you is for whatever God and goodness there is, would continue to protect, guard and guide you throughout your days, for your children and your children’s children.
CONGRATULATIONS DR. ADA IGONOH. THANK GOD FOR YOU. GOD IS THERE, NO MATTER WHAT SOME MAY SAY. HE ALONE IS GOD. AND THANK GOD THAT HE IS GOD. THIS IS ACTIVE FAITH, AND A GREAT INSPIRATION. IT IS A CALL FOR US ALL TO REALISE THAT THOUGH THIS IS A SHINY EXAMPLE IN THE HEALTH FIELD, FOR YOU DOC TO HAVE SURVIVED THE WORST DISEASE IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANKIND, GOD WILL ALSO DO IT FOR US ALL WHATEVER THE SITUATION OR CIRCUMSTANCE. WHATEVER WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH NOW, BE IT THE EBOLA AS THE WORLD IS FACED WITH, BE IT INJUSTICE, HATRED, EXPLOITATION BY THE POWERFUL, SICKNESS, OR EVEN THIS SCOURGE OF NEOCOLONIALISM THAT WE NOW EXPERIENCE IN AFRICA, GOD, IN SEEING OUR EARNEST HEART’S DESIRE AND STRUGGLES TO OVERCOME AND SURVIVE THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, AS DR. IGONOH DID WILL SURELY GIVE US VICTORY AND IT WILL BE A SWEET VICTORIOUS SONG AS DOC IGONOH’S. THANKS BE TO GOD. MAY HE CONTINUE TO RAISE TRUE SERVANTS FOR HIM AND HUMANITY.
Glory be to God almighty. what a good news.
Wow indeed God has really been with you. You did walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and He sustained you, for a purpose. glorify god with your life, and keep sharing your testimony. Condolences to the family of those who passed, especially the poor pregnant nurse Justina on her first day at work, and the gallant Dr. Adadevoh.
Very inspiring. Thank You. Please write a book.
God works in several ways. i am happy you survived and gave this testimony. may God Almighty the author and finisher of our faith continue to protect and guide you in the course of your job. praise God.
God is great. Dr Ada,your faith healed you. You are indeed a doctor in all ramifications. The elegance of your prose; the simplicity of word flow all attest to your being an all rounder. Please publish this testimony as a little pamphlet for now.Expand it to a book at some later time when you are fully out of the stress and emotions of the immediate past. God bless and protect you my dear