Dr Okoli has revealed via her interview that after completing her graduate studies in May, she plans to form a career in which she combines clinical medicine with epidemiology.
Thanks to the heroic efforts of Dr Stella Adadevoh, who unfortunately lost her life, and many other doctors and nurses, the 2014 Ebola crisis was contained in Lagos.
Dr. Adaora Okoli was one of such doctors, who had been working at the hospital that day when the Liberian man was brought in for medical checkup.
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She got infected with it while caring for him but was among the lucky few who survived the crisis.
Konboni reports that since then, she has dedicated her life to the research, treatment, and prevention of future epidemics, studying at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Now, DR. Okoli has been named as one of Bill Gates' "5 Heroes in the Field", a list that identifies individuals helping to save the world but are hardly seen or appreciated.
Her story and video interview, which is partially narrated by Bill Gates, will reportedly be featured in the January 15, 2018, issue of TIME magazine.
Dr Okoli has revealed via her interview that after completing her graduate studies in May, she plans to form a career in which she combines clinical medicine with epidemiology.
Her goal is to return to Nigeria to help prevent future infectious disease outbreaks, considering the fact that she believes Ebola will make a comeback.
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"This is such a great honour for me to be recognized in this way. I never imagined being called a hero. Some people find out their purpose early in life, like Beyonce’ who knew she could sing at five years old. Others find their purpose a little later, but everyone should understand that no person’s purpose is greater than another person’s.
"Ebola is going to come back. It may not be next year or the next five years. But it will come back. I know I was sick for a reason. There’s a lot more I have to do," - Dr Okoli
It does our heart good to know that Dr Okoli will be on our side if ever Ebola were to return.
Watch the inspiring video below: