British Ebola survivor delivers C4's Alternative Christmas Message

23 December 2014

(more video clips at the bottom of the page)

William Pooley, the NHS trained nurse who survived Ebola, delivers this year’s The Alternative Christmas Message on Channel 4.

Speaking from the Connaught Hospital in Freetown Sierra Leone, Pooley calls for a global solution to the epidemic that has so far cost the lives of over 7,000.   

He says: “I don’t want to make you feel guilty, but I would like you to think just for a few minutes about what you could do to help.”

“This is a global problem and it will take the world to fix it.”

“What a wonderful Christmas present that would be.”

Last summer William Pooley, from the small Suffolk village of Eyke, made a life changing decision to travel to the heart of the Ebola epidemic in Eastern Sierra Leone to work as a nurse. 

He says:  “Ebola is unlike any disease I’ve ever witnessed. Nothing can prepare you for the effect it has on the infected, on their families and on their communities.”

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In August, six weeks after starting work in Kenema government hospital, he became the first Briton to be evacuated from west Africa with the deadly virus.

He feared the worst having witnessed at first hand the devastating impact of the disease. 

In his own words, he was ‘extremely fortunate’ to be flown back to Britain for specialist treatment. 

He says:  “In the end I was extremely fortunate.  My colleagues worked night and day to get me flown back to Britain for the best available treatment at the Royal Free in London. And thanks to this treatment I recovered within days.

After making a full recovery, William Pooley decided to return to Sierra Leone to continue his work there as a nurse. 

He says:  “My exposure to this disease reinforced the belief that when people need help it’s important that it’s given.”

“I realise I was incredibly lucky,  lucky to be born in a wealthy country, lucky to be well educated, lucky to have access to the best possible treatment for this awful disease.!”

“Thousands of people here in west Africa have not had that luck. They have died often lonely, miserable deaths without access to proper medical attention.”

Pooley is optimistic thanks to a greater international response operating alongside the Sierra Leoneon government.  However, more needs to be done. 

He says:  “This is a good time to think about the sheer fortune of where and when we happen to be born.”

“If anything Christmas should focus our minds on our kinship with people in all corners of the globe. We are all brothers and sisters. I’m sure we would all help a brother or sister in need.”

Channel 4’s Head of News and Current Affairs Dorothy Byrne says: “What a joy and honour it is for Channel Four that William Pooley agreed to deliver this year's Alternative Christmas Message; a message of love and hope which inspires.”

The Alternative Christmas Message will broadcast on Channel 4 at 1.50pm on Christmas Day.

It was filmed and produced by ITN Productions. 

Ends 

 

Notes to Editors

Pictures are available from http://www.channel4.com/info/press/images

Broadcast and online video clips are available on request.

This year’s Twitter hashtag is #AltXmas 

First airing in 1993, the Channel 4 Christmas message - the alternative to the Queens annual televised message to the nation - has previously featured an illustrious and varied selection of presenters, including the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whistleblower Edward Snowden, Afghan war veteran Major Andrew Stockton, Adam Hills, Katie Piper, Quentin Crisp, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Doreen and Neville Lawrence, The Simpsons, and 9/11 survivor Genelle Guzman.

 

Full transcript - The Alternative Christmas Message

My name’s Will Pooley – I’m an NHS trained nurse.

I come from a small village called Eyke in Suffolk.

This is Connaught Hospital in Freetown the capital of Sierra Leone.

Some of you may remember my name because in August this year I was the first Briton to be evacuated from west Africa with Ebola.

As you can see I survived.

Ebola is unlike any disease I’ve ever witnessed. Nothing can prepare you for the effect it has on the infected, on their families and on their communities.

Six weeks after starting work in Kenema government hospital I developed symptoms.

I was tested and later that day I awoke to find a colleague standing over me in protective gear.

He told me I’d been infected with Ebola.

In the end I was extremely fortunate. My colleagues worked night and day to get me flown back to Britain for the best available treatment at the Royal Free in London.

After I recovered I decided that I wanted to return to Sierra Leone and continue my work there as a nurse

My exposure to this disease reinforced the belief that when people need help it’s important that it’s given.

I realise I was incredibly lucky,  lucky to be born in a wealthy country, lucky to be well educated, lucky to have access to the best possible treatment for this awful disease.

Thousands of people here in west Africa have not had that luck. They have died often lonely, miserable deaths without access to proper medical attention.

This is a good time to think about the sheer fortune of where and when we happen to be born. If anything Christmas should focus our minds on our kinship with people in all corners of the globe. We are all brothers and sisters. I’m sure we would all help a brother or sister in need.

I don’t want to make you feel guilty, but I would like you to think just for a few minutes about what you could do to help. This is a global problem and it will take the world to fix it.

What a wonderful Christmas present that would be.

So with that thought let me wish my family, my friends and all of you a very Merry Christmas and healthy and happy New Year.