Sawyer ran to Nigeria ‘to get help’, says wife
Mrs. Decontee Sawyer, wife of the Liberian who introduced Ebola virus into Nigeria, has broken her silence over her husband’s death to reveal the real reasons he came to Nigeria.
Writing on her Facebook wall, Mrs. Sawyer blamed the government of Liberia for not investing in its health sector, saying her late husband decided to travel to Nigeria because he believed he could receive adequate medical attention there.
“I write today, not simply because of Patrick, but because of the broken healthcare system in Liberia, and the government’s inability under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (and other past presidents) to fix it,” she wrote.
“Good doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers aren’t given the support they need to save lives.
“Patrick went to Nigeria for help so that he could 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.”
Describing him as very caring and affectionate, the mother of Sawyer’s three daughters, expressed worries over how he died and appealed to Nigerians to understand that her husband did not intentionally mean to harm them.
“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!
“I’ve read reports in other papers 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 thing that only I, his wife, would know: I knew Patrick better than anybody else.
“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.”
Ebola has killed over 1,000 people in West Africa, save a Spanish priest, who died while receiving treatment at a hospital in Madrid.
America’s health system is by far better than Nigeria’s. Why did he not go there? The wife should spare us this super story.
This confirms tht he knew what he was doing. He came for better healthcare and made it seem he came for ECOWAS conference, isn’t that deceit? Her husband shld hv called American embassy to say he wanted better healthcare and they wld hv willingly taken him out. Now see the pains his selfish decision has caused others, and it is very selfish for the wife to justify it.
Weldone madam Super-story. Shey Naija healthCare still better pass America own.
Liar!
Quite revealing. I think Nigerian Government can get a clue from her story, save the story is not credible. All the same, my condolence.
It is better she kept quiet than speak obvious lies. Why did he lie when he got to the hospital? Why did he insist on being taken to calabar (is that where the best hospital in Nigeria is)? The fellow (Sawyer) is plain wicked.
Nigerian Healthcare that’s so terribly with strike?
Hmmmh ha?
Most Nigerian are going to India, South Africa etc for cost effective treatment. Europe and USA if the money id there.
Then he that is American citizen should have gone back there with his insurance.
He decision has brought do much pains to millions.
Please help me ask this list how much they gave to she and her husband to spread this virus