IT'S A VIRUS that has claimed thousands of lives in West Africa, and caused a ripple of fear throughout the Western world.
But two brave lab technicians from Chelmsford are determined to help as many people as possible in the fight against Ebola, and will be travelling to Sierra Leone in the next month to join the relief effort.
Jade Richards, 28, and Robyn Haughian, 23, both work as microbiology lab technicians at Broomfield Hospital, and will be working at a lab in an ebola treatment centre, testing the blood of patients who have suspected cases of the virus.
Jade, who lives in Chelmsford, is making the journey on Saturday. She will be there for Christmas, New Year and her birthday.
" I will be there for over a month until January 26, and will be there for my birthday and over Christmas, but I volunteered to go at this time of year because so many people can't do it, they have young kids, but I'm single so why not," she said.
"I want to help people. I am going out there with Save the Children, but really it's a call to arms by all the big charities to go and help. I know it's going to be an eye-opening and life-changing experience and I'm ready for that."
The pair got the idea when an e-mail was sent around the hospital asking for any volunteers to go over and help. They will undertake an intensive training course at Portland Down in Wiltshire before travelling to Sierra Leone.
"Jade came into the lab and asked if I'd seen the e-mail," said Robyn, who also lives in Chelmsford. "I had thought it would be an amazing thing to do, and then Jade said we might as well sign up and see what happened.
"My mum and stepdad are both in medicine too, so they think it's an amazing opportunity and said if they were young they would do it too. But my dad thinks I'm joking, he doesn't believe I'm going.
"I've only ever been to Europe and America, so I've been getting lots of advice from friends who have been to West Africa before."
The lab technicians will be based in different areas of Sierra Leone, with Jade headed to Kerry Town. Robyn, who will be posted in January, will be off to laboratories in Makeni.
Jade said: "For lab staff it is extra special – usually people want doctors and nurses to go out and help so this is a once in a lifetime experience for us.
"We have been told when we're at the treatment centre, if you see someone collapse you're not allowed to help them because you can't touch them.
"We would have to call someone to help. You can't comfort someone if they're crying, and trying not to respond to that basic human instinct will be hard.
"But this is my chance to help others, and use my skills. It's a chance to make a difference."
