One day, a couple is at home discussing dinner plans, sharing stories about work, and dreaming about the future.  In an instant, everything changes. One partner is gone, taken by a dreaded disease that sends everyone into a panic: Ebola.

When it was revealed that Ebola had claimed Aisha Nangobi’s husband, the index case in this outbreak, the wife couldn't fully come to terms with the reality. She was still grappling with the loss, but there was no time to dwell. She was sick too, and when her test came back positive, reality hit her: She wasn't just grieving; She was infected.

Everything moved quickly after that, except for the people around her. Family and friends vanished, leaving her alone with her pain, fear, and the noise in her head. Their fear was understandable; with limited information, people are terrified of what they don't understand.

Ebola affects a person in many fundamental ways. Even before it ravages the body, it attacks the mind. The word 'Ebola' feels like a death sentence. It strips a person of their identity, dignity, and hope.

But then, something unexpected happened to Aisha. Help came from  strangers, health workers from the Ministry of Health, WHO, Baylor Uganda, and other partners.  They walked into Aisha’s isolation room  and took great care of her. They treated her like she mattered; somehow, that's how she made it through.

Surviving is victory, but no one prepares a person for what follows. How does one return to a world that knows them by the virus they survived? How does one mourn their partner when people look at them like they're still contagious? How does one rebuild when everything they thought was stable has shifted beneath their feet?

This is the part Aisha is still grappling with and trying to figure out. Fortunately, she is not doing it alone. Organizations including WHO are still on ground, counselling, checking in, and reminding survivors that life after Ebola is possible. This has enabled Aisha and others in the same situation to smile, plan, and live normal lives again.

Surviving Ebola is also an opportunity to help others not to go through the same experience.  Now, Aisha is using her voice to help her community understand the dangers of diseases like Ebola, how to prevent them, seek early treatment, and take care of themselves.