Camara "Fanta" Fantaoulen is a smart, stylish, and streetwise young woman from Guinea, the country where the ongoing Ebola outbreak began in...
Camara "Fanta" Fantaoulen is a smart, stylish, and streetwise young woman from Guinea, the country where the ongoing Ebola outbreak began in late 2013/early 2014. Yet even with her high levels of education, Fanta could not escape the Ebola virus when it arrived at her doorstep. That's because at the time, her family was not aware of the outbreak, which started in a remote area of Guinea far from Fanta's home in the capital city of Conakry. So when a sick cousin came to visit, no one thought twice about caring for him. When they realized the cousin may have Ebola, it was too late. A total of nine family members were infected with suspected or confirmed Ebola, including Fanta. With supportive care, Fanta and two other relatives survived. Tragically, the remaining six died, including Fanta's father. Now, Fanta is drawing upon her experience - from the pain of living with Ebola and losing her loved ones, to the joy of having survived - to provide psychosocial support to fellow Ebola victims in a nearby treatment center. "I tell them that I used to be sick too, that I lost parents just like they did. But I didn't give up because of that. I kept fighting." Thanks to early treatment and sheer determination, Fanta, who is also a leading national advocate for Ebola survivors, won her fight. This video celebrates her victory. Less
