At the evening of tributes for Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, I looked around the room packed to capacity, and the various people who had come to honour her as I did. The tributes were drawn from various constituencies; childhood friends, university friends, family members and professional colleagues. There was an air of expectancy. The sum total of what everyone said was the same; that Ameyo was consistent through her whole life in displaying the strength of character that was evident in her handling the Ebola index case .
The following morning, in my devotion I read two scriptures which brought Ameyo to mind, in the context of how her life has been a true example of the messages contained in them.
(1) John 15:16 | NIV
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
(2) Genesis 1:28 NLT
Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground."
John15:16 says to me that God chose Ameyo first and that His choice is centred on purpose. The purpose is to bear fruit. An expression of the divine mandate given to Adam and Eve at the origin of human history, and also He said in Genesis 1:28 ' be fruitful and multiply'
Fruitfulness
What is the evidence of fruitfulness? There is scripture that says 'by their fruits you will know them'. That is, whatever fruits we bear will be self evident.
It takes time for fruit to grow and ripen. Before fruit comes, there has been a process leading up to this. In the first place, a seed is sown. The seed goes into the ground and dies before the new life bursts forth from it in the form of a seedling. The seedling goes through many growth stages before it reaches maturity as a bush or a tree. Many unseen things go on while the seed is underground, before it's shoots come up through the soil.
In the same way, God uses the seed of our life's choices in an unseen manner until an appointed time when our character shows through, and exactly what kind of plant we are becomes evident. Once the shoot comes through, the new plant must undergo a lot of necessary stages in order to grow into a healthy tree. There will be dew and rain, sometimes with storms and flood, there will be the sun, sometimes with scorching heat, there will be cool breezes, and sometimes punishing strong winds. And then there is the mystical element of life itself which God had already put in the seed, which carries the DNA of the particular plant.
All these elemental effects are absolutely necessary for a plant to survive and grow into a strong tree. In the same way, the vicissitudes of our lives train us up in character and strength so that we will grow into a tree who's DNA is the character of God. That is what I believe God is about when we read about man being created in His own image.
Once the tree is established with firm roots in the soil, the leaves multiply and in due season it yields fruit. The identification of the tree is made clear from both the fruit, the leaves, and the configuration of the stem and branches. The characteristics of these can be related to the environment in which the tree is planted. Some trees have deep tap roots, some a shallow but widespread root system, while some have aerial roots and so on. Some plants survive through the most hostile environments, and in the same way some human beings pull through in a victorious , fruitful manner despite the odds stacked against them. This is the core evidence of fruitfulness. In the eye of adversity, the mettle of each of us is tested and the hard knocks of life become opportunities to display the power of Godly character.
When the news of the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria first hit our ears, I am sure many people were praying that the tide of destruction that it brings will be stopped. That it will be removed from our environment. We had no idea that our prayers aligned with God's will and purpose for Ameyo's life, and that the answer to that prayer would bring about the clear evidence of the 'fruit' of her life and a fulfilment of it. Her mandate as a Christian which I've extracted from Genesis1:28, was to :
- be fruitful
- to multiply
- to have dominion
- to be a good steward
These traits are clearly seen in full measure in her life, and that is why I rejoice for her life, and join millions of people who honour and celebrate her. There is no doubt whatsoever that she is with The Lord. These are the things that I have learnt from Ameyo's life.
Ameyo's fruitfulness:
-Kindness
-Sacrificial giving
-Generosity
-Bringing her sparkle to any where she is
Ameyo multiplied:
- healing to so many
- goodwill
- gave of herself personally and professionally
Ameyo had dominion:
- excellence in academics and medical practice
- keeping firmly to her resolve not to allow the index case to leave her charge
- positive influence in her sphere
Ameyo was a good steward:
- she used her talent and skill sets to serve others
Her family
Her friends
Her profession
Her nation
Bright is the light of Ameyo's life. She has borne fruit that will last for years to come. She is truly legendary and a beacon of light in her generation, and definitely a heroine.
What is the evidence of fruitfulness? There is scripture that says 'by their fruits you will know them'. That is, whatever fruits we bear will be self evident.
It takes time for fruit to grow and ripen. Before fruit comes, there has been a process leading up to this. In the first place, a seed is sown. The seed goes into the ground and dies before the new life bursts forth from it in the form of a seedling. The seedling goes through many growth stages before it reaches maturity as a bush or a tree. Many unseen things go on while the seed is underground, before it's shoots come up through the soil.
In the same way, God uses the seed of our life's choices in an unseen manner until an appointed time when our character shows through, and exactly what kind of plant we are becomes evident. Once the shoot comes through, the new plant must undergo a lot of necessary stages in order to grow into a healthy tree. There will be dew and rain, sometimes with storms and flood, there will be the sun, sometimes with scorching heat, there will be cool breezes, and sometimes punishing strong winds. And then there is the mystical element of life itself which God had already put in the seed, which carries the DNA of the particular plant.
All these elemental effects are absolutely necessary for a plant to survive and grow into a strong tree. In the same way, the vicissitudes of our lives train us up in character and strength so that we will grow into a tree who's DNA is the character of God. That is what I believe God is about when we read about man being created in His own image.
Once the tree is established with firm roots in the soil, the leaves multiply and in due season it yields fruit. The identification of the tree is made clear from both the fruit, the leaves, and the configuration of the stem and branches. The characteristics of these can be related to the environment in which the tree is planted. Some trees have deep tap roots, some a shallow but widespread root system, while some have aerial roots and so on. Some plants survive through the most hostile environments, and in the same way some human beings pull through in a victorious , fruitful manner despite the odds stacked against them. This is the core evidence of fruitfulness. In the eye of adversity, the mettle of each of us is tested and the hard knocks of life become opportunities to display the power of Godly character.
When the news of the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria first hit our ears, I am sure many people were praying that the tide of destruction that it brings will be stopped. That it will be removed from our environment. We had no idea that our prayers aligned with God's will and purpose for Ameyo's life, and that the answer to that prayer would bring about the clear evidence of the 'fruit' of her life and a fulfilment of it. Her mandate as a Christian which I've extracted from Genesis1:28, was to :
- be fruitful
- to multiply
- to have dominion
- to be a good steward
These traits are clearly seen in full measure in her life, and that is why I rejoice for her life, and join millions of people who honour and celebrate her. There is no doubt whatsoever that she is with The Lord. These are the things that I have learnt from Ameyo's life.
Ameyo's fruitfulness:
-Kindness
-Sacrificial giving
-Generosity
-Bringing her sparkle to any where she is
Ameyo multiplied:
- healing to so many
- goodwill
- gave of herself personally and professionally
Ameyo had dominion:
- excellence in academics and medical practice
- keeping firmly to her resolve not to allow the index case to leave her charge
- positive influence in her sphere
Ameyo was a good steward:
- she used her talent and skill sets to serve others
Her family
Her friends
Her profession
Her nation
Bright is the light of Ameyo's life. She has borne fruit that will last for years to come. She is truly legendary and a beacon of light in her generation, and definitely a heroine.
Very well written and closely reasoned piece, Lara. I wanted to attach a longish first person account by one of Ameyo's colleagues - the lady doctor who survived the Ebola virus - part of that account relates the roles played by Ameyo, which gives some more perspective on her. But you may already have read the article, and it is fairly long...
ReplyDeleteI have taken the liberty of attaching in 2 parts a seriously abridged version of the first person account by Ameyo's junior female doctor colleague who survived the Ebola:
ReplyDeleteOn the night of Sunday July 20, 2014, Patrick Sawyer was wheeled into the Emergency Room at First Consultants Medical Centre. The doctor on call admitted him as a case of malaria. At about 5.00pm, the next day he requested to see a doctor.
. I then informed my Consultant, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh about the patient’s condition and she asked that he be placed on some medications.
I was approached by an ECOWAS official who informed me that Patrick Sawyer had to catch an 11 o’clock flight to Calabar that morning. He wanted to know if it would be possible. I told him it wasn’t, as he was acutely ill. Dr. Adadevoh also told him the patient could certainly not leave the hospital in his condition. She then instructed me to write very boldly on his chart that on no account should Patrick Sawyer be allowed out of the hospital premises without the permission of Dr. Ohiaeri, our Chief Medical Consultant.
During our early morning ward round with Dr. Adadevoh, we concluded that this was not malaria and that the patient needed to be screened for Ebola Viral Disease. She was referred to Professor Omilabu of the LUTH Virology Reference Lab in Idi-Araba. Prof. Omilabu told her to send blood and urine samples to LUTH straight away. She tried to reach the Lagos State Commissioner for Health but was unable to contact him at the time. She also put calls across to officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and National Centre for Disease Control.
Dr. Adadevoh at this time was in a pensive mood. Patrick Sawyer was now a suspected case of Ebola, perhaps the first in the country. He was quarantined, and strict barrier nursing was applied with all the precautionary measures we could muster. Dr. Adadevoh went online, downloaded information on Ebola and printed copies which were distributed to the nurses, doctors and ward maids. Blood and urine samples were sent to LUTH that morning.
Contd.
ReplyDeleteOn the morning of Wednesday 23rd July, the tests carried out in LUTH showed a signal for Ebola. Samples were then sent to Dakar, Senegal for a confirmatory test. Dr. Adadevoh went for several meetings with the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
The following day, Thursday 24th July, at about 10.00pm Mr. Sawyer requested to see me. He said he had to travel back to Liberia on a 5.00am flight the following morning and that he didn’t want to miss his flight. I told him that I would inform Dr. Adadevoh. As I was leaving the room, I met Dr. Adadevoh dressed in her protective gear along with a nurse and another doctor. They went into his room to have a discussion with him..
At 6:30am, Friday 25th July, I got a call from the nurse that Patrick Sawyer was completely unresponsive. I found him slumped in the bathroom. I examined him felt for his pulse; it was absent. We had lost him. It was I who certified Patrick Sawyer dead. I informed Dr. Adadevoh immediately and she instructed that no one was to be allowed to go into his room for any reason at all. Later that day, officials from W.H.O came and took his body away. The test in Dakar later came out positive for Zaire strain of the Ebola virus. We now had the first official case of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria………
The following night, Dr. Adadevoh was moved to our isolation ward from her private room where she had previously been receiving treatment. She had also tested positive for Ebola and was now in a coma. She was receiving I.V. fluids and oxygen support and was being monitored closely by the W.H.O doctors. We all hoped and prayed that she would come out of it. It was so difficult seeing her in that state. I could not bear it. She was my consultant, my boss, my teacher and my mentor. She was the imperial lady of First Consultants, full of passion, energy and competence. I imagined she would wake up soon and see that she was surrounded by her First Consultants family but sadly it was not to be.
Thank you very much for this abridged version. I had indeed read the story on Bella Naija and have decided to post a link to it on this blog for those who may not have read it.
DeleteI was touched to read that Nigeria has been cleared of Ebola disease by the US Centre for Disease Control. I regard this Nigerian success as being greatly informed by the attitude and sacrifice of the likes of Ameyo Adadevoh who gave examples of how the right thing must be done.
ReplyDelete