Dr. Kent Brantly is the Director of an Ebola treatment center, and Nancy Writebol is the Personnel Coordinator for a humanitarian organization in Liberia.
The Ebola virus causes a fatal disease with no vaccine, no cure, and a death rate of up to 90%. The largest Ebola outbreak in history began in approximately March of 2014, and by July 31st at least 1437 suspected Ebola cases had developed in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, resulting in 825 deaths.
Despite grave personal risks, Brantly and Writebol volunteered to care for those infected with Ebola and to prevent its spread beyond the affected regions. Writebol is not a licensed medical provider, yet agreed to be trained to assist in disinfecting medical personnel. Both contracted Ebola as a result of their bravery and heroism.