As worries about Ebola settle down in the U.S., the effects of this devastating disease are still palpable in stricken African countries such as Liberia. Members of the Strathy family, many of whom are health care professionals, are in touch with the plight of the Liberian people. “Ebola was a disaster in Liberia because of a lack of medical infrastructure and access to early treatment,” says Dr. Jan Strathy of Edina.
Jan’s sister-in-law, Natu Strathy, a former Edina resident originally from Liberia and a registered nurse, visited Liberia with her husband, Dr. Kevin Strathy, in late 2013 and last summer to do plastic surgery work in Monrovia. When they witnessed the dangerous lack of protective gear for Liberian health care workers, they launched the Liberian Medical Relief fund, affiliated with the HEARTT Foundation, for the purpose of raising money to purchase and ship protective equipment, body bags and bleach for sanitization. A fundraiser at Jan Strathy’s home in September raised $40,000 for the cause.
Liberian Medical Relief still seeks donations. “Once the Ebola crisis is over, money raised will be directed to supporting Ebola orphans in Liberia,” Jan Strathy says.
Learn more at hearttfoundation.org or liberiamedicalrelief.org.
