Nina Pham is Ebola Free, Discharged From National Institutes for Health Friday
Pham met with President Obama at the White House Friday; to see her dog Saturday
By Frank Heinz ••
Dallas nurse Nina Pham was expected to arrive back in North Texas late Friday after she was released earlier in the day, Ebola free, from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.
Dallas nurse Nina Pham, who contracted Ebola treating a patient at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, said Friday she feels fortunate and blessed to be free of the deadly virus and is looking forward to seeing her dog Bentley.
Pham, 26, made the statements during a news conference Friday after being discharged from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Flanked by her family and a number of doctors who aided in her recovery, Pham walked out of the NIH Clinical Center to cheers Friday and read a short statement where she thanked those who prayed for her and treated her.
Dallas nurse Nina Pham on recovering from the Ebola virus, which she contracted while treating Thomas Eric Duncan: “I feel fortunate and blessed to be standing here today.”
"I feel fortunate and blessed to be standing here today," Pham said in a brief statement. "Throughout this ordeal, I have put my trust in God and my medical team."
She was introduced to the crowd by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who said when Pham was admitted on Oct. 16 that it was their goal that she would walk out of their hospital healthy. On Friday, that goal was realized.
"Our patient Nina Pham is free of Ebola virus," Fauci said, adding that five tests showed that Pham has no more of the virus in her body.
Institute of Health’s Dr. Anthony Fauci announces that Dallas nurse Nina Pham is free of the Ebola virus Friday morning.
While wearing the colors of Pham's nursing school, Texas Christian University, Fauci called her a "courageous and lovely person," saying that she also represents the nurses and health care workers who put themselves on the line caring for sick patients.
Pham took no questions and left NIH bound for the White House where she, her mother and sister would meet President Barack Obama in the Oval Office along with several of her doctors.
President Barack Obama meets with Ebola survivor Nina Pham in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, Oct. 24, 2014. Pham, the first nurse diagnosed with Ebola after treating an infected man at a Dallas hospital is free of the virus. The 26-year-old Pham arrived last week at the NIH Clinical Center. She had been flown there from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Pham boarded a CareFlite airplane at Baltimore-Washington International Airport Friday evening bound for Fort Worth, where her family has a home.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Pham will be reunited with her dog Bentley, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, on Saturday.
Ebola Survivor, Nina Pham, is headed back home to North Texas Friday and her co-workers are very excited about her return.
“I’m excited to welcome her home and I know Bentley will be glad to see her. Although Bentley remains under quarantine until the end of the month, Nina will be able to visit, hold and play with him tomorrow. I know that will be good for both of them," said Jenkins in a statement Friday.
Dallas city spokeswoman Sana Syed clarified Jenkins' statement, saying Pham might be allowed to see Bentley, but won't be able to cuddle with her dog until he has cleared a 21-day quarantine. That should happen on Nov. 1. Syed said no reunion plan has been set yet.
Pham's Remarkable Recovery
Nurse Nina Pham made good progress in battling the disease at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas before being transferred to NIH. In Maryland, Pham thanked Fort Worth Dr. Kent Brantly for the "selfless act of donating plasma" as his blood may have aided in her recovery since it carries antibodies against the Ebola virus.
Dallas nurse Nina Pham is free of Ebola and has been released from the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. She even met with President Barack Obama after leaving NIH.
Before being transferred from Dallas, Pham's condition had been listed as good and she appeared lively in a video posted on YouTube. After her transfer to Maryland she was reassessed and listed in fair condition, but doctors were quick to say her condition hadn't deteriorated. On Wednesday, Pham was upgraded to good condition.
NBC 5 News
Nina Pham's Facebook page, which has been taken down, included a photo with her dog. Dallas public information officer Sana Syed identified the dog as Bentley, a spaniel. Bentley appears to be a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
TCU Yearbook
Nina Pham graduated from Texas Christian University in 2010 from the university's BSN Nursing program.
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas
In a screen grab from a video by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Ebola patient Nina Pham speaks with a physician before she is transported from North Texas to a hospital in Maryland.
AP
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas staff line the drive that exits the emergency room as they wait for an ambulance carrying Nina Pham to depart, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014, in Dallas. Pham, a nurse at the hospital was diagnosed with the Ebola virus after caring for Thomas Eric Duncan who died of the same virus.
Dallas nurse Nina Pham, the first person to contract the potentially deadly Ebola virus in the United States, was flown from Dallas Love Field to Maryland for treatment at the National Institutes of Health.
Texas Health Presybterian Hospital nurse Nina Pham is helped out of the back of an ambulance on the runway at Love Field airport October 16, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. Pham contracted Ebola when she was part of a team of healthcare workers who had treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian who was the first patient diagnosed with the virus in the United States and who died October 8. National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Anthony Fauci told members of Congress that Pham, 26, is being transferred from Dallas to an isolation unit at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Texas Health Presybterian Hospital nurse Nina Pham is helped out of the back of an ambulance on the runway at Love Field airport October 16, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. Pham contracted Ebola when she was part of a team of healthcare workers who had treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian who was the first patient diagnosed with the virus in the United States and who died October 8. National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Anthony Fauci told members of Congress that Pham, 26, is being transferred from Dallas to an isolation unit at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Dallas nurse Nina Pham, the first person to contract the potentially deadly Ebola virus in the United States, was flown from Dallas Love Field to Maryland for treatment at the National Institutes of Health.
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The airplane carrying Texas Health Presybterian Hospital nurse and Ebola patient Nina Pham takes off from Love Field airport October 16, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. Pham contracted Ebola when she was part of a team of healthcare workers who had treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian who was the first patient diagnosed with the virus in the United States and who died October 8. National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Anthony Fauci told members of Congress that Pham, 26, is being transferred from Dallas to an isolation unit at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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The airplane carrying Texas Health Presybterian Hospital nurse and Ebola patient Nina Pham takes off from Love Field airport October 16, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. Pham contracted Ebola when she was part of a team of healthcare workers who had treated Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian who was the first patient diagnosed with the virus in the United States and who died October 8. National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Anthony Fauci told members of Congress that Pham, 26, is being transferred from Dallas to an isolation unit at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci comes out of the building with his arm around Nina Pham, the nurse who was infected with Ebola from treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan, for a news briefing at National Institutes of Health October 24, 2014 in Bethesda, Maryland. Pham, who first diagnosed on October 12, was declared free of the virus on Friday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Nina Pham, the nurse who was infected with Ebola from treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan, speaks as Director of the National Institutes of Health on October 24, 2014 in Bethesda, Maryland. Pham, who was first diagnosed on October 12, was declared free of the virus on Friday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
NBC 5 News
Nina Pham, free of Ebola, speaks outside of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, Oct. 24, 2014.
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Nina Pham, the nurse who was infected with Ebola from treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan, speaks during a news briefing as Director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci and Director of NIH Clinical Center John Gallin look on during a news briefing at the National Institutes of Health October 24, 2014 in Bethesda, Maryland. Pham, who was first diagnosed on October 12, was declared free of the virus on Friday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci hugs Nina Pham, the nurse who was infected with Ebola from treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan, as Pham's mother Diana and sister Cathy, and Director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins look on at the end of a news briefing at National Institutes of Health October 24, 2014 in Bethesda, Maryland. Pham, who first diagnosed on October 12, was declared free of the virus on Friday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci (L) hugs Nina Pham (2nd L), the nurse who was infected with Ebola from treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan, as Director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins (R) looks on at the end of a news briefing at National Institutes of Health October 24, 2014 in Bethesda, Maryland. Pham, who first diagnosed on October 12, was declared free of the virus on Friday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci hugs Nina Pham, the nurse who was infected with Ebola from treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan, as Pham's mother Diana and sister Cathy, and Director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins look on at the end of a news briefing at National Institutes of Health October 24, 2014 in Bethesda, Maryland. Pham, who first diagnosed on October 12, was declared free of the virus on Friday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Faucileaves with Nina Pham, the nurse who was infected with Ebola from treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan, as Director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins looks on after a news briefing at National Institutes of Health October 24, 2014 in Bethesda, Maryland. Pham, who first diagnosed on October 12, was declared free of the virus on Friday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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U.S. President Barack Obama gives a hug to Dallas nurse Nina Pham in the Oval Office of the White House October 24, 2014 in Washington, DC. Pham, a nurse who was infected with Ebola from treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas and was first diagnosed on October 12, was declared free of the virus on Friday. (Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)
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U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Dallas nurse Nina Pham in the Oval Office of the White House October 24, 2014 in Washington, DC. Pham, a nurse who was infected with Ebola from treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas and was first diagnosed on October 12, was declared free of the virus on Friday. (Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)
AP
President Barack Obama meets with Ebola survivor Nina Pham in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, Oct. 24, 2014. Pham, the first nurse diagnosed with Ebola after treating an infected man at a Dallas hospital is free of the virus. The 26-year-old Pham arrived last week at the NIH Clinical Center. She had been flown there from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Fauci, one of the most highly-regarded immunologists in the world, said they used no experimental drugs in Pham's treatment and was not able to say with any certainty whether the donation of Brantley's plasma was instrumental in her recovery.
No matter how it happened, Pham's co-workers were overjoyed to learn of her recovery and discharge.
“The Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas family is thrilled that Nina Pham is Ebola-free and on her way home. Her colleagues and friends eagerly look forward to welcoming her back. Her courage and spirit, first in treating a critically ill Ebola patient and then in winning her own battle against the disease, has truly inspired all of us,” said Texas Health Resources CEO Barclay Berdan in a statement.
Texas health Presbyterian Hospital workers react to the news that nurse Nina Pham is no longer infected with the Ebola virus Friday.
After her discharge Friday, Pham expressed thanks to those who cared for her and aided in her recovery while asking for prayers for those still battling the disease, including her co-worker Amber Vinson and New York City Dr. Craig Spencer who was diagnosed with the disease Thursday.
"I believe in the power of prayer because I know so many people all over the world have been praying for me. I do not know how I can ever thank everyone enough for their prayers and their expressions of concern, hope and love. I join you in prayer now for the recovery of others including my colleague and friend Amber Vinson and Dr. Craig Spencer," Pham said.
Spencer is in stable condition and is being treated at Bellvue Hospital in New York. He is believed to have had close contact with only three people, all who are quarantined and asymptomatic.
Pham is believed to have contracted the virus, along with Vinson, while caring for patient Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, died from the disease on Oct. 8.
Pham, the first health care worker to contract the disease in the U.S., was treated for Ebola at Presbyterian Dallas for several days before being transferred to the NIH campus.
Vinson, the second health care worker who tested positive for the virus, was confirmed to have Ebola on Oct. 15 and was transferred to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta from Presbyterian the same day. Vinson's family reported earlier in the week that she was clear of the disease, a statement hospital officials confirmed Friday though they have not said when Vinson will be discharged.
"Amber Vinson is making good progress in her treatment for Ebola virus infection. Tests no longer detect virus in her blood. She remains within Emory's Serious Communicable Diseases Unit for continued supportive care. We do not have a discharge date at this time," the hospital said Friday.
“Nina is a real hero and a devoted nurse who represents all the brave health care workers who’ve put their lives on the line to help others. We are thankful for everyone who cared for Nina at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas and NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. "We are also happy to hear the positive prognosis for her colleague Amber Vinson and we look forward to welcoming Amber home soon too."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and hospital officials have not yet been able to determine exactly how Pham and Vinson contracted the often fatal disease.
