The Heroism of Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan

Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan contracted Ebola while treating patients, spending his life battling hemorrhagic fevers in Sierra Leone. He died on July 29, 2014 at just 39 years old. 

Dr. Khan decided he wanted to become a doctor when he was just a child. He was inspired by a German doctor who had come to Sierra Leone to treat patients with Lassa fever, and then died from acquiring the virus. This event motivated him to try to help his fellow citizens in a similar way.

He ultimately became the head of the Lassa fever program at Kenema Government Hospital, in a region with the highest rate of Lassa fever in the world.

In the spring of 2014, an Ebola outbreak ravaged Sierra Leone. As it began, Dr. Khan was on the front lines. He converted his ward into a primary treatment center for the outbreak, eventually expanding to over 100 beds. He and his team worked tirelessly with limited supplies, but the team became overwhelmed, and despite precautions, several became infected.

Dr. Khan was often questioned about his bravery in the face of potentially contracting one of these two deadly viruses. He acknowledged his fear, ensured he took proper precautions, and said, “if I leave, who will come in and step into my shoes?”

What drives someone to keep moving forward when they know their life is in mortal danger? People speculate that some individuals just experience less fear than the rest of us. But a 2010 study in the journal Neuron suggests this is not the case. Researchers studied people who chose to move toward a live snake. They reported experiencing real fear, but were able to overcome it through courage, which quieted the fear circuitry in the amygdala. This was achieved through heightened activity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, an area of the brain that serves as the bridge between the psychological and physiological responses to fear.

Dr. Khan was hailed as a national hero by the President of Sierra Leone for his lifelong work saving Ebola patients. His continued work in the face of his fears, and his ultimate sacrifice, saved the lives of more than 100 Ebola patients during the outbreak.