A lawyer for the family of the only Ebola patient in the United States to die says the hospital that treated him will create a foundation in his name.
Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian native, died at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on Oct. 8.
Attorney Les Weisbrod said Wednesday in Dallas that the foundation in honor of Thomas Eric Duncan will assist other Ebola victims in West Africa. Weisbrod said the foundation is part of a larger settlement that will “take care” of Duncan’s four children and his parents. Duncan has four children, ranging in age from 12 to 22.
According to a document released by Weisbrod, Duncan’s nephew, Josephus Weeks, will work with Texas Health Resources Foundation (THR) to fight Ebola by seeking contributions to the fund to assist those in Africa. Weeks would like a state-of-the-art advanced treatment center to be built in Liberia, in memory of his late uncle.
Weisbrod did not say how much the settlement was worth.
“We applaud THR and Presbyterian Dallas for their transparent accountability and corrections in protocols as a result of Mr. Duncan’s case,” Weisbrod said in the released statement, adding that the organizations “deserve tremendous credit for resolving this matter quickly and not forcing this family to endure years of litigation and uncertainty.”
In a statement Tuesday, Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas announced that it “has amicably resolved all matters with the family of Thomas Eric Duncan.”
“As part of the healing process, we have again extended our sincere apologies to the family and shared our regret that the diagnosis of Ebola Virus Disease was not made at the time of Mr. Duncan’s initial Emergency Department visit,” the statement read, also confirming that the hospital will facilitate the creation of the Texas Health Dallas Thomas Eric Duncan Memorial Fund.
Duncan’s death prompted questions about his care. He initially sought treatment two days before being admitted, but was sent home with antibiotics. Ebola experts later questioned the experimental drug he was given.
Two nurses who treated Duncan were infected but ultimately recovered from the disease.
The Ebola epidemic in West Africa has killed over 4,900 people this year, although there are no current cases in the United States. Medical experts say Ebola can be transmitted only through the bodily fluids of a sick person with symptoms.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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