Third U.S. missionary, 51, to be infected with deadly Ebola virus in West Africa arrives in Nebraska for treatmentDr. Rick Sacra, 51, arrived in Nebraska Friday morning for treatment for Ebola virusThe obstetrician is the third missionary working for SIM USA to be infected with the virusHe contracted Ebola in July while working in LiberiaSacra was able to walk onto the plane in Liberia without assistanceHe will be treated in the Nebraska Medical Center's Biocontainment Patient Care Unit Sacra had not been caring for Ebola patients but was delivering babies, and had been following protocols to prevent the disease, SIM USA saidBy REUTERS and ALEXANDRA KLAUSNER
PUBLISHED: 08:19 EST, 5 September 2014 | UPDATED: 09:21 EST, 5 September 2014
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A U.S. health missionary infected with the Ebola virus has entered the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for treatment after being flown in from West Africa, a spokeswoman for the medical center said.
Dr. Rick Sacra, a 51-year-old Boston physician, is the third U.S. missionary infected with the deadly virus.
Sacra's plane landed at the Offutt Air Force Base Friday morning and he was transported to the medical center in an ambulance escorted by state highway patrol, said Jenny Nowatzke, media relations coordinator with the medical center.
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Latest U.S. victim: Dr Rick Sacra is the third U.S. missionary to be stricken with the deadly disease and boarded a plane from Liberia on Thursday, arriving in Nebraska early Friday morning
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Homecoming: The ambulance transporting Sacra, 51, who was infected with Ebola while serving as an obstetrician in Liberia, arrives to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha
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Hopeful: He will be treated in the hospital's 10-bed special isolation unit, the largest of four such units in the U.S.
Third American Ebola patient arrives at Nebraska hospital
Sacra walked onto the airplane in Liberia on Thursday. He will be treated at the Nebraska hospital's Biocontainment Patient Care Unit, Christian missionary organization SIM USA said on Thursday.
Sacra did health work for SIM USA in Liberia as did two other U.S. missionaries infected with Ebola, Nancy Writebol and Kent Brantly, who were also flown back to the U.S. for treatment.
The plane carrying the third U.S. missionary infected with the Ebola virus in Liberia left the West African country's capital on Thursday.
More... Can Ebola be cured by using the BLOOD of survivors? Experimental treatment proposed to halt spread of virus ¿ as more bodies are carried away in the streets of Liberia Ebola is a threat to all of humanity warns U.S. official as fatalities in West Africa surge to over 1,900 and a second cluster of cases is confirmed in Nigeria Pictured: The obstetrician, 51, named as third American stricken with Ebola - as Nancy Writebol speaks publicly for the first time to thank God for saving her life Third U.S. missionary, 51, with Ebola leaves Liberia for treatment at a hospital in Nebraska as his wife compares epidemic to dangerously out of control wildfire
The virus has killed more than 1,900 people.
Debbie Sacra, wife of Dr. Sacra, made a statement on Thursday at 5 p.m. EDT at University of Massachusetts Medical School.
'I am overwhelmed and abundantly blessed by all the kind words that people have said about Rick since the news of his sickness was released,' his wife Debbie told the press as she fought back tears.
'When he left at the beginning of August, we understood there was a risk he could become sick with this deadly virus but I knew that he needed to go and be with the Liberian people who needed a hospital to be open,' she added.
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Transported to Omaha for treatment: Dr. Rick Sacra (left) pictured with his wife Debbie (right) prior to being exposed to the deadly Ebola virus
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Press conference: Debbie Sacra addresses the media at the University of Massachusetts Medical School
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Wear protective gear: Dr. Sacra's message to other doctors is to wear enough protective clothing to prevent exposure to the disease
Debbie Sacra spoke of her husband's dedication to helping those in Liberia in need who fell victim to the deadly virus. She compared his love for people and his efforts to those of Jesus before he died and she said her husband is not afraid of death.
She said that her husband's wish is that workers do all that they can to avoid exposure to the virus, reports the Boston Globe.
'He is not someone who can stand back when there is a need that he can take care of. His word to everyone who is watching these broadcasts is that the need in West Africa is desperate and there are resources that can be deployed to make sure that all healthcare workers have enough gloves and gowns and boots and thermometers to protect themselves from possible Ebola exposures and continue caring for those who need other medical care.'
'Please find a practical way to meet the needs of Liberia and its neighbors in this time of fear and suffering. As Rick wrote to his medical colleagues, this epidemic is a wildfire about to rage out of control,' she concluded.
Ebola doctor 'in good spirits' as he leaves Liberia for US
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Praying for her husband: Debbie Sacra, wife of Dr. Rick Sacra, an American doctor who contracted the Ebola virus in Africa, smiles as she speaks about her husband's health while saying he is not afraid of death because he believes in God
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Treatment center: Dr. Rick Sacra arrived in Nebraska for treatment at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha
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Staying strong: Debbie Sacra, wife of Dr. Rick Sacra, an American doctor who contracted the Ebola virus in Africa, addresses members of the media and says her husband is staying strong
A Reuters cameraman saw Sacra, wearing a white protective overall, step out of the car that brought him to the tarmac. He was able to walk onto the aircraft in Liberia without assistance.
Liberian Information Minister Lewis Brown confirmed that the plane carrying Sacra was identical to the Gulfstream jet that ferried Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly, who had contracted the disease in July while working at the missionary group's health facilities in Liberia.
'Rick was receiving excellent care from our SIM/ELWA staff in Liberia at our Ebola 2 Care Center,' said Bruce Johnson, president of SIM USA.
'They all love and admire him deeply. However, the Nebraska Medical Center provides advanced monitoring equipment and wider availability of treatment options,' Johnson said.
Nebraska medical center said in a statement that they will keep Sacra in their Biocontainment Patient Care Unit.
'We want everyone to know that every precaution is being taken in transporting this patient here and caring for them once they arrive,' said Angela Hewlett, MD, associate medical director of the Biocontainment Unit.
'This is one of the safest places in the country for this patient to be treated, both for the public and for the medical professionals providing care,' she added.
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Medical update: Dr. Mark Rupp, an infectious disease specialist; Dr. Phil Smith, medical director, and Dr. Angela Hewlett, associate medical director, hold a news conference in Omaha
Sacra had volunteered to return to Liberia, where he has long offered medical services, when the two other U.S. health workers were infected.
Writebol and Brantly have since recovered after being flown back to the United States for treatment in an isolation unit at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.
Sacra had not been caring for Ebola patients but was delivering babies, and had been following protocols to prevent the disease, the group said. It was not known how he contracted the disease.
For more updates on SIM’s role in the Ebola epidemic in Liberia visit simusa.org/ebolacrisis.
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Supported by family: Debbie Sacra, wife of Dr. Rick Sacra, followed by Dr. Michael F. Collins and Dr. Sacra's brother David at the University of Massachusetts Medical School on Thursday
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Getting treatment: Dr. Rick Sacra is the third U.S. missionary to be flown to the U.S. to receive medical care
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Helped those in need: Dr. Rick Sacra felt a need to help those suffering from the Ebola crisis in Liberia despite the risk of contracting the disease
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Praying for his health: Family members and friends of Rick Sacra are praying that their otherwise healthy loved one will survive Ebola
Ebola doctor 'in good spirits' as he leaves Liberia for US
Read more: Debbie Sacra¿s statement Ebola Crisis Update
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