News about Dallas nurse Nina Pham took an optimistic tone Tuesday with improvement in her condition and her first statement after being diagnosed with the Ebola virus.
Pham, 26, a critical care nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, was listed in good condition Tuesday, up from stable condition Monday. She is the first person to contract the Ebola virus in the U.S. after caring for Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient in the U.S. to be diagnosed with the virus.
“I’m doing well and want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers,” Pham said in a written statement released by the hospital. “I am blessed by the support of family and friends and am blessed to be cared for by the best team of doctors and nurses in the world here at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.”
Texas Health Resources CEO Barclay Berdan added to the upbeat tone.
“The doctors and nurses involved with her treatment remain hopeful, and we ask for the prayers of the entire country,” he said in a written statement from the hospital.
Dr. Tom Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Pham has been speaking with investigators.
“Our team lead in Texas has spoken with her on multiple occasions, and she is extremely helpful,” he said.
Pham was placed in isolation Friday night after she started running a fever. Another person, believed to be her boyfriend, also was placed in isolation. He is thought to be the only person who was in contact with Pham after she developed symptoms.
On Sunday, Dr. Kent Brantly, a Fort Worth native who was the first Ebola survivor in the U.S., donated plasma to Pham.
Meanwhile, friends ramped up their support of Pham with an online fundraising campaign, as well as a vigil Tuesday evening at Texas Christian University, her alma mater.
Sarah Strittmatter, who said she has been one of Pham’s best friends since third grade, started the fund to replace her destroyed belongings.
Her care at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas will be covered and will not be a financial burden for her or her family, the hospital said.
Presbyterian said that multiple fundraising sites have emerged but that it was steering donors to Strittmatter’s site: www.gofundme.com/fsqtbo.
At the vigil at TCU’s Robert Carr Chapel, about 40 people gathered to pray.
The Rev. Erin Taylor, a 2011 TCU graduate who led the event, described her as “a very sweet girl.”
“We wanted to offer a time of support for one another,” she said.
Community members, including Chancellor Victor Boschini, lighted candles for Pham and sang “Amazing Grace.”
“So many people from TCU and around D/FW wanted to do something special,” said Stephanie Wright, one of the TCU graduates who helped organize the vigil.
“She wouldn’t want all this attention for herself, so we are praying not only for Nina but also for all health care professionals who continue to go into work every day.”
HOW TO HELP: Donations, messages
To donate: Pham's family and friends are accepting donations via GoFundMe for nonmedical expenses. Her care at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas will be covered, the hospital said.
To send a message: Emails to Nina Pham may be sent through the hospital's "Email a Patient" page at TexasHealth.org.
