“A reminder of what contagion is like at its deadliest, and what medicine can be like at its very best.”
Abraham Verghese
author of Cutting for Stone
“If you are looking to be inspired by one person's compassion and desire to help those inflicted with a deadly illness, this is a must read.”
Moeen Saleem, MD
MedGlobal
“Her memoir is an important voice that reminds us that we must not turn away from that which is profoundly tragic and fear-inducing. Facing it is the only way to maintain our shared humanity.”
Wellesley Magazine
In 2014 after fighting through yards of bureaucratic red tape, leaving her family, and putting her own health at risk in order to help suffering strangers, Kwan Kew Lai finally arrived in Africa to volunteer as an infectious disease specialist in the heart of the largest Ebola outbreak in history. What she found was not only blistering heat, inhospitable working conditions, and deadly, unrelenting illness, but hope, resilience, and incredible courage.
Lest We Forget chronicles the harrowing and inspiring time spent serving on the front lines of the ongoing Ebola outbreak—the complicated Personal Protective Equipment, the chlorine-scented air, the tropical heat, and the heartbreaking difficulties of treating patients she could not touch. Dr. Lai interweaves original diary entries to create a gripping narrative about life, death, and human relationships that will leave no reader unmoved.
Lest We Forget exposes the raw brutality of Ebola, as well as the chaotic nature of the undersupplied and understaffed health infrastructure in the developing world. At once a memoir of triumphs and failures and a memorial, this book will ensure that the victims of Ebola and the fighters who sought to heal them will not be forgotten.
PRAISE
Abraham Verghese
author of Cutting for Stone
“Picking up this book, I was quite unprepared for the gripping, page-turning quality, the deep personal insights, the lyricism, and the candid, heartfelt explorations of fear, courage, love and loss. This is an unforgettable book. A reminder of what contagion is like at its deadliest, and what medicine can be like at its very best.”
Moeen Saleem, MD
Advocate Medical Group
Board of Directors, MedGlobal
“A firsthand, eye-opening account of the devastating impact of a infectious disease outbreak, which has the potential to spread worldwide. If you are looking to be inspired by one person’s compassion and desire to help those inflicted with a deadly illness, this is a must read. This is a personal, heartfelt narrative of what it means to be a good global citizen by unselfishly serving those suffering from healthcare disparity and lack of education and proper training while understanding and respecting local culture. Thank you Dr. Kwan Kew Lai for being a voice for those who have suffered.”
Wellesley Magazine
“The reality of the Ebola epidemic can be painful to read about, because it contains so much tragedy. As an experienced doctor, Lai maintains sufficient distance in order to make the experience tolerable for the reader, while still exhibiting empathy and not closing herself off to the truth . . . Her memoir is an important voice that reminds us that we must not turn away from that which is profoundly tragic and fear-inducing. Facing it is the only way to maintain our shared humanity.”