Greta Van Susteren interviews Franklin Graham and Kent Brantly after they appear at the White House
Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham and Dr. Kent Brantly appeared with Greta Van Susteren on the Fox News Channel Wednesday night, hours after attending a White House event that honored the heroism of health care workers fighting Ebola in West Africa.
Dr. Brantly is the Samaritan’s Purse doctor who survived the disease that has killed almost 5,000 in West Africa. He introduced President Barack Obama at the event held in the East Room of the White House.
“(Medical professionals) have fought with valiant effort against this menace,” said Dr. Brantly, who was greeted by a standing ovation. “More medical professional are desperately needed.”
Dr. Brantly served with Samaritan’s Purse in Liberia. He was treating victims of the disease at our case management center at ELWA Hospital near Monrovia when he contracted Ebola. He was evacuated to Emory University Hospital, where he became the first person treated for Ebola in the United States. He has donated blood plasma to other patients since recovering from the virus.
Obama said the health care workers serving in Africa are a “shining example” to the world.
“We need to call them what they are, which is American heroes,” he said. “They deserve our gratitude and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”
Franklin Graham and Dr. Brantly’s wife, Amber, were among the several hundred guests at the event. Kent and Amber visited the White House more than a month ago, shortly after he recovered from his battled with Ebola.
Van Susteren introduced the two men as “both my very good friends” when they appeared on her show, “On the Record.”
They discussed their meetings with White House officials to discuss what can be done to battle the deadly virus.
Franklin Graham talked about the difficulties of getting supplies into West Africa. Samaritan’s Purse already has sent one airlift into Liberia, and another is scheduled for next week.
“Airlines have quit flying,” he said. “All of our supplies, we have to charter flights. We have a 747 going next week full of equipment and gear. I asked if we can have an air bridge. We need planes flying on a schedule every week that would carry cargo and carry health care workers.”
Dr. Brantly said he talked with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell “about what is needed on the ground, what kind of support do they need. She was receptive to those conversations.”
Franklin Graham told Van Susteren he is glad to see the president spotlighting Ebola.
“No question I think his administration is aggressive on this issue,” he said. “I think they would admit they are late on some of these issues, but they are focused on it now.
“The clock is ticking is West Africa. People are dying and they need help.”
Van Susteren has been an advocate of Samaritan’s Purse on her program and on her blog. She has reported on our work in disaster-devastated regions around the world.
Because of her reporting on behalf of the people of Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake in December 2010, an orphanage constructed and supported by Samaritan’s Purse is named in her honor.
