Thomas Eric Duncan
| Thomas Eric Duncan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 2, 1969 Monrovia, Liberia |
| Died | October 8, 2014 (aged 45) Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Cause of death | Ebola virus disease |
| Nationality | Liberian |
| Occupation | Personal driver |
| Known for | First diagnosis of Ebola virus disease in North America |
| Children | Karsiah Eric Duncan |
Thomas Eric Duncan (May 2, 1969 – October 8, 2014) was a Liberian who became the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States on September 30, 2014. Duncan, who had been visiting family in Dallas, was treated at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. By October 4, Duncan's condition had deteriorated from "serious but stable" to "critical". On October 8, Duncan died of Ebola. Two health care workers became infected with Ebola virus, 26-year-old nurse Nina Pham and 29-year-old nurse Amber Vinson, both of whom had taken care of him at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital (THPH). Both have been cured.
The family eventually threatened to sue the hospital based on the claim that Duncan had not received proper and timely care. The family was thus able to receive compensation from THPH. On November 10, 2014, Duncan's family reached a “resolution” with THPH that included the hospital covering the expenses related to Duncan's intensive and onerous treatment, as well as an undisclosed amount cash payment to the family.
Duncan was from Monrovia, Liberia, to date the country hit hardest by the Ebola virus epidemic. Duncan worked as a personal driver for the general manager of Safeway Cargo, a FedEx contractor in Liberia. According to manager Henry Brunson, Duncan had abruptly quit his job on September 4, 2014, giving no reason.
On September 15, 2014, the family of Marthalene Williams, who later died of Ebola virus disease, could not call an ambulance to transfer the pregnant Williams to a hospital. Duncan, their tenant, helped to transfer Williams by taxi to an Ebola treatment ward in Monrovia. Duncan rode in the taxi to the treatment ward with Williams, her father and her brother.
On September 19, Duncan went to Monrovia Airport, where, according to Liberian officials, Duncan lied about his history of contact with the disease on an airport questionnaire before boarding a Brussels Airlines flight to Brussels. In Brussels, Duncan boarded United Airlines Flight 951 to Washington Dulles Airport. From Dulles, he boarded United Airlines Flight 822 to Dallas/Fort Worth. He arrived in Dallas at 7:01 p.m. CDT on September 20, 2014, and stayed with his partner and her five children, who lived in the Fair Oaks neighborhood of Dallas.Vickery Meadow, the region of Dallas where Duncan resided, has a large African immigrant population and is Dallas's densest neighborhood.
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