'They were afraid to come in contact': Ebola fighter's sister blames stigma for her death

Salome Karwah survived the extraordinary.

When she contracted Ebola, the virus that devastated her country of Liberia and killed most of her family, she recovered — then immediately went back to the hospital to support other patients, knowing she had developed an immunity to the disease.

Her work won her the distinction of being named Time's 2014 Person of the Year. On the magazine's cover, she was pictured with her arms crossed and defiant look on her face.

Last week, Karwah died shortly after giving birth to a son. Complications from her C-section caused her to convulse and her sister, Josephine, says hospital staff were too afraid to treat her. 

Josephine is also a survivor and program officer at Ebola Survivor Network. She spoke with As It Happens guest host Helen Mann about her late sister and the stigma survivors continue to face in her country. Here is part of their conversation.

I will disguise myself at every hospital that has my record as an Ebola survivor. I will not be attending that facility any more — I assure you.- Josephine Karwah

Helen Mann: I'm very sorry to have learned of the loss of your sister. When Salome went to the hospital to give birth to her son, I imagine you were expecting a joyous occasion. What happened instead?

Josephine Karwah: Yes, we were expecting a joyous occasion. But then when we get to the hospital and two orderlies say we needed to have a C-section because her pressure keeps going up, coming down, going up. So we agreed.

She went through the operation. It was successful. She stayed there Friday night, Saturday night. Sunday morning she was discharged. When she was discharged from the hospital, we felt very shocked. She came home. The same day, she started to convulse.

She started feeling some complications and we took her back to the hospital. When we got there, Salome lay in the car for like three hours. The doctor saying we should transfer her and we told him we cannot transfer her because this is where she received surgery — which hospital can we carry her to? We said, 'No, we cannot transfer her,' because her case was critical.

HM: What actually caused Salome's death?

JK: For me, I would say that Salome did not receive the care. Salome was stigmatized. Once you are saying "Ebola," once you call that name in Liberia, everybody will be careful. In her convulsions she would spit and fluid was coming from her mouth. So to me, in my own belief, I feel that they were afraid to come in contact. So I told them I wanted to stay there and sleep by her and they said no. They refused.

HM: You survived Ebola. I know you lost most of your family, including your parents. You're working with the survivor network. How bad is it for Ebola survivors right now, in terms of that stigma you told me. How is it affecting their lives?

JK: It is bad for Ebola survivors now because Salome is not the first crisis. We had another survivor that just died. He had an umbilical hernia. They had him in the car from hospital to hospital to hospital. At last, he died in the car, because everyone wouldn't receive him. They transferred him. They were not willing to take him in.

We cannot continue like this. For me now, I'm disguising myself. Even when I go to another hospital I will not call my name. I don't want people to call me an Ebola survivor because once I'm a survivor some kind of feeling will come to someone who is trying to provide care. So because of that I will disguise myself at every hospital that has my record as an Ebola survivor. I will not be attending that facility any more — I assure you.

• Ebola health care worker dies after childbirth in Liberia

HM: How is your baby nephew doing?

JK: The baby is fine. I was just holding him, just now.

HM: What's his name?

JK: His name is Solomon Harris. We were trying to find name that would match Salome's name.

HM: Did your sister get to see him before she died?

JK: Yes.

HM: What will you tell him about her? What do you want him to know when he grows up about his mom?

JK: When he grows up I will tell him wonderful things about his mom — what his mom did in Liberia and how she saved humanity, I will explain to him. I will also tell him the sad story about how his mom died. I will also tell him the tragedy that occurred in our family. I will tell him a story about Ebola. How it came into Liberia ... and all of that sad story. I know it will hurt him because he will not know his mom.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.