William Pooley: True Angel With A Heart of Gold!

Oladotun Fadeyiye

I have read fictional stories of human beings with true angelic nature, gestures and intervention and never thought it could happen for real but William Pooley story has cleared that notion. He is a Briton Nurse who caught Ebola in Freetown Sierra-Loene while working as a Volunteer Nurse and of course his story, is a story that many of us in West Africa especially Sierra-Leoneians will not forget in the history of Ebola Virus Disease outbreak which has ravaged the country and few other countries on the west coast of Africa in the last few months.

According to BBC News, William Pooley has eventually returned to Sierra-Loene as he had promised to return so as to save more lives when he’s fully recover from the sick bed. He arrived Freetown Yesterday Sunday, 19 October to commence work today,Monday 20 October at the isolation unit at Connaught Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he will train staff and set up new isolation units.

BBC News further stated that while in the UK, the 29-year-old had said he was “impatient” to return to his work in Africa and would travel as soon as he had a new passport. His old one was incinerated when he was evacuated.

Imagine that! Despite the fact that his passport had been incinerated when he took ill first time with Ebola virus, Yet, he organised another passport and flew down. Take it from me, no Naija person would risk going back to where he had been declared almost dead and having escaped from the jaw of death! If there would be any, such person must have had western upbringing and orientation because our values and beliefs here, may never allow us to venture into such risky mission. Don’t get me wrong, Nigerians are warm and hospitable but there is limit to which we can go when it involves epidemic and outbreak such as Ebola. Nigerians love life!

In addition, it has also become clear to me now that there some exceptionally kind-hearted being who could put their lives on the line to save thousand of others from dying, even when they of different race. Pooley will forever remain an inspiration to people like me and others who love to share love and love to put smiles on the faces of other fellow men.

I am still stunned, how do we describe this sort of gesture? I tell you, this is best any man can offer humanity! From my understanding, Pooley is indeed a unique being with a true sense of purpose. He is such a man with a large heart who has chosen to live by extraordinary set values. Same values all humans should adopt to live by so as to make this world a better place for us. The world that is rid of racism, hate, and prejudice. Above all, one personal lesson that William Pooley’s action has taught me is that “the essence of our living and existence is to ensure and help other to live too” Period!

William Pooley, May God bless you.