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CHARLOTTE, NC – A Charlotte missionary is fighting one of the deadliest diseases in the world.
On Monday night, Samaritan’s Purse said Nancy Writebol was in serious, but stable, condition in isolated intensive care in Liberia.
Doctors confirmed Writebol had the Ebola virus on Saturday. Her pastor at Calvary Church in South Charlotte said Writebol was selflessly serving.
“A couple in our congregation offered to bring them home at their expense, and they refused to come home,” said John Munro, senior pastor at Calvary Church.
Nancy and David Writebol have been doing missionary work in Liberia for the past year. Nancy works with patients infected with Ebola to help stop the spread of the virus.
“They felt this is what God called them to do, and they wanted to be true to their calling. They said, ‘No, we are staying,’ realizing they’re in a risky situation. So, these are our unsung heroes,” said Munro.
Nancy is now the second American to test positive for the disease. One of Writebol’s colleagues, Doctor Kent Brantly, is also battling Ebola. Samaritan’s Purse confirms Brantly is in an isolation unit in Liberia suffering intense headaches and fever.
The Centers for Disease Control says Ebola poses little risk to the U.S. but Monday night, Liberia closed its borders to stop the deadly Ebola outbreak from spreading.
There are now more than one thousand confirmed Ebola cases in Africa, all diagnosed this year. There have been 660 deaths so far, according to the CDC.
“If you look at a population that gets affected by this virus, typically there’s a 50 to 60 percent mortality rate. As high as 90 percent in some situations,” said Dr. Russell Suda, medical director at Cabarrus Health Alliance.
The CDC says the virus is transmitted through an infected person’s bodily fluids. Health care workers treating patients and family members are the most at risk of being infected. It can take 21 days for someone to develop symptoms, which include fever, muscle pain and diarrhea.
Ebola has no cure and there’s no vaccine, but Writebol pastor and church are still hopeful.
“I asked the congregation to to pray and to cry out to the Lord for help, and we are all doing that,” said Munro.
Calvary Church will hold a prayer service for Writebol on Wednesday at 6:30p.m.
