The widow of Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian who brought Ebola
into Nigeria, has defended his decision to travel to the country
explaining that he might have done so in desperate search for
a country with good healthcare system.
According to TMZ Liberia, Decontee Sawyer, who is a radio
host in New York, posted a message on her Facebook timeline
explaining that Mr. Sawyer had no trust for the decaying
healthcare system in Liberia and might have headed to Nigeria
with the hope of receiving proper treatment for his ailment.
“I’ve read other reports in other papers (not the New York
Times) about Patrick’s “recklessness.” I get where they’re
coming from, and they certainly have the right to feel the way
they do. However, as Patrick’s widow, I would like to shed
some light on this from another perspective. One that only I,
his wife, would know,” she wrote.
“I knew Patrick better than anybody else (including himself).
He had told me many times in the past how much he didn’t
trust the Liberian healthcare system. He would tell me about
how a person would get checked in for one thing, and get
misdiagnosed and get the wrong treatment as a result. On top
of that, Patrick was a clean freak, and told me how filthy a lot
of the hospitals were.
“He didn’t tell me this, but I know in my heart of hearts that
Patrick was determined to get to Nigeria by all means
because he felt that Nigeria would be a place of refuge. He
has expressed to me many times in the past that he felt
passionately about helping to be a part of strengthening
Liberia’s healthcare system, but he knew it wasn’t there yet,
and he wouldn’t want to take a chance with his life because a
lot of people depended on him… Patrick had a passion for life,
and he wouldn’t have wanted his to end. So, I bet anything
that he was thinking, if I could only get to Nigeria, a way
more developed country than Liberia, I would be able to get
some help. How ironic.”
Many Nigerians condemned Mr. Sawyer for travelling to the
country after it was revealed that he knew he was carrying the
virus before embarking on the trip. Some Nigerians on social
media have described him as a “biological terrorist” arguing
that he came into the country deliberately to spread the
disease. On Monday in Abuja, President Goodluck Jonathan
described Mr Sawyer’s decision to travel to Nigeria as pure
“madness” and “craziness.”
“Sawyer that brought this Ebola to Nigeria; his sister died of
Ebola. And he started acting somehow, his country asked him
not to leave the country, let them observe him, but the crazy
man decided to leave and found his way here,” the president
said.
Ms. Sawyer wrote that the fact that her husband avoided
contact with others at the James Sprigg Payne’s Airport in
Monrovia revealed by airport CCTV footage proved he didn’t
set out to infect others with the disease and perhaps his
actions were that of a dying man in desperate search for help.
“It has been reported that Patrick avoided physical contact
with everyone he came across during his trip from Liberia to
Nigeria. When he got to Nigeria, he turned himself in letting
them know that he had just flown in from Liberia. Patrick went
to Nigeria for help so that he can get properly diagnosed, and
not misdiagnosed in Liberia. And if it came back that he did
have Ebola, he trusted the Nigerian healthcare system a lot
more than he trusted the Liberian’s. His action, as off as it
was, was a desperate plea for help. Patrick didn’t want to die,
and he thought his life would be saved in Nigeria.”
She then took a swipe at the Liberian President, Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf, who said Mr. Sawyer was indisciplined and
disrespectful for failing to heed medical advice not to travel.
She said if President Johnson-Sirleaf had fixed the healthcare
system in Liberia, her husband would have no need of leaving
in search of treatment somewhere else.
“I write today, not simply because of Patrick, but because of
the broken healthcare system in the Liberia, and the
government’s inability under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
(and other past Presidents) to fix it. Good doctors, nurses,
and other healthcare providers aren’t given the support they
need to save lives.
“President Sirleaf went on CNN News throwing stones at
Patrick, a man who can no longer defend himself, a man who
worked tirelessly for Liberia. She should be ashamed of
herself. I use to admire this woman, and was excited and
proud of her accomplishment as the first woman President in
the entire continent of Africa. She will always own that. We
will always own that. It can’t be taken away from her. It’s
something to be proud of. But this woman has failed her
country,” she wrote.
Since Mr. Sawyer’s death in a Lagos hospital, two other
persons who had contact with him have died of the virus. At
least eight others have also tested positive to the infection
and have been quarantined at a Lagos hospital.
President Goodluck Jonathan has since declared a national
emergency on the disease while the federal health ministry in
conjunction with health ministries in the 36 states are working
to prevent the virus, which has killed over 1,000 people in
Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, from spreading.

https://m.premiumtimesng.com/news/166660-ebola-why-patrick-sawyer-travelled-to-nigeria-wife.html

Mrs sawyer you need slap heavy one,even US neva get cure so what has Nigeria got to do with good diagnonsis.

This woman na grade A lier; Can someone remind her that her husband didn't turned himself in and confessed he had Ebola before his demise? He even pissed on nurses and health attendants when he was told he can't leave the hospital, so?

Although Nigeria citizens don't appreciate Nigeria. Other African country and infanct the whole world do.


I am proud to be a Nigerian!

This wife want to give her husband a good light.

Why he didnot fly back to America!

Why samaritian purse and the 7 day adventist leaf the country they where working in the healt car system. She should blame this america who run away because this are so called helping organisations from america but their first help is to spread the gospel and the second is to work in Howspital.

Why doctors with out border (the civil war in nigeria let two franc people make this organisation) work since the second outbreak in Africa with ebola and all still are safe, because they know how to work, they are real health workers and not fake ones like this so called christian organisation from America

At the moment only in Monrovia the health center from SOS child villages is working and the hospital for Ebola.

I can't believe this.... This sounds like the rants of an equally mad person like her husband... He didn't mean to infect Nigerians? Really? Nonsense.... I am certain the Americans sent the man here... God pass them!

Oh God!!! Now this is more annoying

Y'll know this biaatche is lying right? Trying to patronize us with Nigerian has got a better health care service BS, the man is an American citizen, why didn't he go to America?

Tundeiab:
I am proud to be a Nigerian!

Not at this time jor.

Mr and Mrs Sawyer had this all planned out. What happened to his American P? If what he needed was good care, America is the place to be and not naija where we are struggling to survive.

Sawyer should just have died peacefully in Mrs Sawyer's wide arms.

candy:
Not at this time jor.

Mr and Mrs Sawyer had this all planned out. What happened to his American P? If what he needed was good care, America is the place to be and not naija where we are struggling to survive.

Sawyer should just have died peacefully in Mrs Sawyer's wide arms.

in her arms ke? May be her love no teach that level o.
The poor woman will be secretly thanking God she didn't have any contact with him during that period.

Only God in heaven knows d truth abt dis matter.

Lets just pray that the mess they created will be completely cleared as soon as possible. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.