She died for us August 19: Biography of Stella Ameyo Adadevoh

This is a short biography on the life, education, marriage, legacy, awards, sacrifice and death of Dr. Stella Ameyo Adadevoh.

Exactly 5 years today, she died stopping Ebola from spreading in Nigeria. Her name is Dr. StellaAmeyoAdedevoh.

On this day August 19th, she paid the Supreme price for the love of humanity and country. There is no greater sacrifice than to lay down your life to save others. If not for her, the deadly Ebola virus would have found its way into our national life and wreak untold havoc on this fragile country called Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

Well, I am not surprised, she is from a family whose ancestors has paid the ultimate price for the betterment of this country.

1. Her full name is Ameyo Stella Shade Adadevoh

2. She was born on the 27 October 1956, Lagos State, Nigeria. Four years before Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

3. Her father Babatunde Kwaku Adadevoh was a great physician and former Vice chancellor of the University of Lagos.

4. She is from the lineage of Herbert Macaulay and Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowder, the first Nigerian nationalist who died fighting for self determination of Nigeria, and first Anglican bishop who brought western education to Nigeria and translated the Bible to Yoruba respectively.

5. She attended primary school at the Corona School, Yaba in Lagos, Nigeria (1964-1968). She attended Queen’s School, Ibadan (1969-1974) Nigeria for her secondary school education.

6. Thereafter she moved on to the prestigious University of Lagos for her MBBS degree, and became a specialist in Endocrinology at the University of London.

7. She did her mandatory one year medical internship at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in 1981

8. Ameyo Adadevoh married Afolabi Emmanuel Cardoso on April 26, 1986. She gave birth to their only son Bankole Cardoso.

9. While she was alive, she worked with First Consultants Hospital, St. Gregory’s College Road in Obalende, a neighborhood of Lagos Island, in Lagos where she spent 21 years.

10. The hospital came to worldwide attention in 2014 as the hospital where the Ebola virus disease patient Patrick Sawyer was taken after becoming ill on arrival in Lagos.Sawyer later died at the hospital on 24 July.

11. Four of the hospital staff, including Dr Stella Adedavoh and Nurse Justina Echelonu, who had contact with Patrick Sawyer died.

12. As a doctor per excellence, Adadevoh was the first to alert the Nigerian Ministry of Health official the presence of swine flu in Nigeria in 2012.

13. She is credited for preventing the wider spread of the deadly Ebola virus in Nigeria by placing the index case (first case) of the virus, Patrick Sawyer (a government functionary) in quarantine despite overwhelming pressures from the Liberian government.

14. Despite the threats issued to her by Librarian government officials to discharge Mr Sawyer to attend a conference in Calabar, she said: “for the greater good, for the love of humanity and for the love of country I will not release him”.

15. On the 4th of August, 2014, it was confirmed she has tested positive for the virus and was being quarantined and treated

16. She died in the afternoon of 19th of August, 2014, about 15 days after her exposure to the virus. She was 57 years.

17. She was survived by her husband Afolabi and son Bankole among other relatives.

18. She is the first and only doctor to die of Ebola in Nigeria.

19. Her body was decontaminated and cremated by the Nigerian government and ashes given to the family for her burial rights.

20. After her demise, the widow of the late Patrick Sawyer, Decontee Sawyer, sent condolence messages to the Adadevoh family saying: “I share the pains that the family members of the Nigerian doctor are going through. It is just a pity that Patrick had to cause this damage both in Liberia and Nigeria.”

21. After her death, the Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh Health Trust (DRASA), a non-profit health organization was created in her honor.

22. The movie “93 Days” that tells the story of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Nigeria and its successful containment was shot to honor her memory.

23. The movie has Bimbo Akintola as a leading actress representing the late physician.

24. On October 27, 2018, she was honoured with a Google Doodle posthumously on her 62nd birthday.

25. The 2018 ECOWAS Prize of Excellence has been posthumously awarded to Dr Ameyo Adadevoh for her contributions in curbing Ebola in the sub-region.

26. According to Wikipedia, she has received over 20 awards and honors post-humously. Here is a screenshot of her awards..

27. Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Bayero University named female hostel after late Dr. Stella Ameyo Adedevoh.

28. There have been a public call on the Nigerian government to immortalize her name and and honor memory.

29. Her effort has not been in vain, today, the cure for the deadly Ebola virus is now a reality.

30. In commemoration of her death, the NGO established in her honor, DRASA, tweeted: “Today, 5 years ago, she paid the greatest sacrifice to humanity with her life. She is indeed a hero that never wore a cape and through #DRASA we are continuing her legacy”

#AmeyoAdadevoh #Adadevoh #StellaAdadevoh #AmeyoStellaAdadevoh #5YearsGone #HealthHero #WorldHumanitarianDay

Further Reading: Wikipedia