There are still real life heroes among us – people who give their own lives so others could live.
Yet, there is one less of them among us.
The late Stella Adadevoh epitomises such rare human, whose whole existence only strengthens our humanity, and gives credence to the notion of heroism and consciousness with the capital C. Consciousness of the big picture, and of understanding that sometimes, the best picture is one we don’t have to be in. Anyone without myopia can picture that, but only heroes live it, and we are better for it.
Adadevoh led the team that treated Patrick Sawyer – the first patient diagnosed with the deadly Ebola virus in Nigeria and caught the virus in the process.
Adadevoh, who would have turned 62 today made sure that Patrick Sawyer was not only quarantined, but also sequestered herself and members of her team even though there were pressure for her not to do so, particularly from the Liberian Government.
She saved a dozens of people contacting the virus through contact with Sawyer who wanted to board another flight to Calabar, which would have been a disaster had she allowed that to happen.
She also personally provided staff with information about the virus and procured protective gear and contacted the right authority, including the Lagos State Government.
She also paid a personal price by missing her son’s birthday, and the ultimate price when she died of the virus, along with eight others.
Their death saved what could have been a major dead count of which Nigeria has never seen before.