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Canadian pilot, 30, evacuates family of American doctor who contracted Ebola virus
In a high stakes rescue mission, a B.C. pilot successfully evacuated an American doctor’s family after he tested positive for Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The flight, which took place on May 20, lasted an hour and 15 minutes and Dominic Villeneuve, 30, tells National post that he was “not particularly worried for my own well-being.” He said that he was confident in the safety precautions in place, including his wearing PPE for the duration of the flight.
Villeneuve, a Mission Aviation Fellowship pilot, flew the family to safety in neighbouring Uganda. The physician who contracted Ebola had been working at the remote Nyankunde Hospital and was evacuated separately to Germany for specialized treatment. The doctor’s wife — also a physician — their children, and another doctor who sustained direct exposure to the virus were aboard the flight piloted by Villeneuve.
Originally from Kamloops, Villeneuve joined MAF, a Christian organization that uses aviation to provide aid to isolated communities, in 2019, having previously obtained his pilot’s licence through the Prairie Bible Institute in Alberta. He moved to DRC in 2021.
Villeneuve’s dream of becoming a pilot goes right back to his childhood. “My earliest memories are growing up in Kamloops, riding my bike to the airport with my dad and watching the planes come and go. Watching him and dreaming that one day I could become a pilot,” he told National Post.
At 14, Villeneuve became a Christian. Shortly after, an MAF pilot visited his church, setting him on the path that eventually led him to his current work in DRC.
And this latest mission was not Villeneuve’s first high-pressure evacuation. “Last year, we were evacuating humanitarian workers out of a community that had an army marching on them. I got the last group out 20 minutes before the army arrived,” he said.
However, he added that it was his first medical evacuation involving a virus such as Ebola. “We’re used to those more intense flights, but it was my first time doing a medical evacuation of somebody who had (come into contact with) something like Ebola.”
The evacuation mission came amid a rapidly evolving epidemic, driven by a rare variant of the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) designated the crisis a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 16 and, so far, the organization reports 125 confirmed Ebola cases, which include 17 deaths, and 906 suspected cases, which include 223 deaths.
“One of the important things to know with Ebola is that if you do not have symptoms, you are not contagious,” Villeneuve said. “We knew (the family) were asymptomatic, and so there was a risk of them developing symptoms in flight, at which point I would be considered exposed, but I wasn’t concerned.”
This marks the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the DRC since 1976, and MAF personnel have provided critical logistical support during six previous outbreaks.
“When crises of this magnitude hit, our international fellowship acts as a coordinated body,” said Brad Bell, chief executive officer of MAF Canada, in a news release. “Through our partnerships with other NGOs and local hospitals, Canadian pilots like Dominic can plug directly into mature, deeply rooted frontline infrastructure.”
Bell added: “Our commitment is to maintain a safe, steady presence, providing the reliable logistical expertise that frontline health workers and local institutions need to do their vital work.”
MAF operates major regional networks across the DRC, partnering with 13 missionary families and more than 35 Congolese staff members to keep isolated communities connected to vital infrastructure and resources.
Reflecting on the ongoing emergency response, Villeneuve called for global solidarity, adding in the news release, “Please pray for those who have been impacted by the resurgence of Ebola and for quick containment and elimination.”
Meanwhile, Ottawa announced on Thursday that Canada will provide $8 million in international assistance funding to support organizations responding to the current Ebola outbreak.
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