Ebola Nurse Nina Pham'S Dog Bentley In Quarantine .
Published on Oct 16, 2014
The dog belongs to the nurse who contracted Ebola from Thomas Eric Duncan while treating him in Dallas Texas.
Laughing, joking and crying for joy: Ebola nurse Nina Pham brings her hazmat-suited doctor to tears as she speaks from hospital
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital released a video on Thursday which shows the bittersweet moment Ebola-patient Nina Pham said goodbye to her doctor before leaving Dallas for further treatment in Maryland.
The 26-year-old nurse contracted Ebola after volunteering to care for U.S 'patient zero' Thomas Eric Duncan, who tragically died last week from the deadly disease.
In the video released Thursday evening, at Ms Pham's request, her treating physician gets emotional as he sees her off on her trip to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda.
'Thanks for getting well. Thanks for being part of the volunteer team to take care of our first patient,' Dr Weinstein is heard saying, as he focuses the camera on Ms Pham, reclining in her hospital bed.
'It means a lot. This has been a huge effort by all of you,' he adds, before tearing up.
Ms Pham then smiles before telling her doctor not to cry.
'We're really proud of you,' Dr Weinstein says.
That causes Ms Pham to start crying herself, and another physician standing by in full hazmat suiting hands her a tissue to wipe away her tears.
The camera does not linger on Ms Pham long enough to see where she disposes of the wet tissue after drying her eyes.
'I love you guys,' she says.
'We love you, Nina,' Dr Weinstein responds, at the end of the video.
Ms Pham was discharged from the Dallas hospital Thursday evening to fanfare as her coworkers gathered outside the building to see her off, holding up signs like 'Get well' and 'You're a rock star'.
She landed in Bethesda just before 10:40pm Eastern Time.
She will next be treated at NIH Hospital, Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the hospital's Allergy and Infectious Diseases unit told a Congressional committee this afternoon.
This afternoon Ms Pham asked the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital to release a statement on her behalf thanking her family, friends and co-workers for the outpouring of support.
‘I feel very blessed, and have gained strength from their support. I appreciate everything that my coworkers [sic] have done to care for me at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas,’ the nurse stated.
‘I’m doing really well thanks to this team, which is the best in the world. I believe in my talented coworkers. I am #presbyproud!’
The press release from the beleaguered hospital also included a statement from Dr. Gary Weinstein, chief of pulmonology and critical care medicine, who described the decision to transfer Ms Pham to Maryland as a difficult one.
‘We’re so glad she has improved so much in such a short amount of time,’ he said. ‘Our prayers are with her, and she’ll be in wonderful hands at NIH.’
Hospital spokeswoman Candace White concluded the statement by saying that it is in the best interest of everyone involved to ‘give the hospital an opportunity to prepare for whatever comes next.’
Meanwhile, the City of Dallas released new photos of Ms Pham's beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Bentley, looking cheerful during quarantine at the Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center.
The pooch is currently being cared for by professionals in protective Hazmat suits. City spokeswoman Sana Syed tweeted that Bentley was doing well considering the sudden separation from his owner.
‘Bentley is settling in, getting used to new routines. The cutie played w/ new toy and snuggled w/ vet,’ she wrote Thursday afternoon.
On Wednesday, Presbyterian Hospital was treating two Ebola patients - Ms Pham and nurse Amber Vinson, both employees of the hospital who contracted the disease while treating 'patient zero' Thomas Eric Duncan.
By tonight, the hospital will have zero Ebola patients in its care after federal officials ordered both of them moved to specialized facilities. Ms Vinson was flown out of Dallas to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta Wednesday night.
Bookmarks