An ‘inspiration to us all’

It was an emotional afternoon for the family of Dr. Martin Salia as his wife, Isatu, and two sons returned for the first time to the med center since his death from Ebola in 2014.

Mrs. Salia and her sons toured the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit last week, where they saw the prominent display of a plaque commemorating Dr. Salia’s bravery, courage and the sacrifice he and his family made as he continued to treat patients at a hospital in Sierra Leone in the midst of the Ebola outbreak that claimed more than 11,000 lives in West Africa.

“He fought so hard to promote health care in Sierra Leone,” said Isatu Salia, during a ceremony in the private dining rooms later Wednesday afternoon. “As God may have it, the quality care that my husband gave to the lives that he touched was given back to him here at the (Nebraska Medical Center). I saw how much you gave all in your power, every chance for him to survive.”

Staff members from the Biocontainment Unit unveiled the plaque that will hang in the unit during a private tour before the ceremony. Having her husband be remembered in words etched on green stone, his favorite color — “hits my heart so hard,” said Isatu Salia, who traveled from the family’s home in Maryland. “I was praying so hard, if only his name was somewhere, and now a memorial plaque — it’s like a dream come true,” she said.

Shelly Schwedhelm, director of emergency preparedness and infection prevention at Nebraska Medicine, also presented Salia with a brick on behalf of the Biocontainment Unit staff, which will be included in the Healing Garden. It reads “In honor of Dr. Martin Salia, courage and heroism.”

Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., chancellor of UNMC, commented on how the staff of the Biocontainment Unit showed their own kind of courage in performing their jobs while treating patients with Ebola. “The degree of caring really characterizes what Dr. Salia did and what he stood for and characterizes what the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit stood for and stands for,” he said.

The hour-long ceremony was punctuated by tears throughout, both from Isatu Salia, whose sons at one point stood and steadied their mother to help her continue her speech, and members of the team who treated and cared for Dr. Salia.

The tour of the Biocontainment Unit was no less emotional, especially when Isatu Salia stood in the room in which her husband lost his battle with Ebola.

“I want you to know how hard we tried and how much we cared,” said Kate Boulter, nurse manager of the Biocontainment Unit, as she presented Isatu Salia with flowers. “He is an inspiration to all of us and will never be forgotten.”