Dr. Kent Brantly

Dr. Kent Brantly is an American physician and medical missionary recognized for his work in global health and infectious disease response. Brantly earned his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine and completed his family medicine residency and fellowship in maternal child health at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Brantly and his wife served as medical missionaries in Monrovia, Liberia, with World Medical Mission, the medical arm of Samaritan's Purse. In Liberia, Brantly worked as a full-spectrum family physician, practicing inpatient and outpatient medicine, pediatrics, and high-risk obstetrics.

While serving as medical director at Monrovia's only Ebola treatment center, Brantly contracted the Ebola virus. He received a dose of the experimental drug ZMapp and was evacuated to the United States for treatment at Emory University Hospital, becoming the first American to return to the country for Ebola care. Brantly's condition improved, and he was discharged from the hospital. He initially declined the experimental drug so that a colleague could receive it, reflecting his commitment to medical ethics and patient care.

Following his recovery, Brantly became an advocate for global health and infectious disease awareness. He testified at a joint Senate hearing on the Ebola crisis in West Africa and met with President Barack Obama at the White House. Brantly also donated plasma to American Ebola patients and, along with other medical professionals, was named Person of the Year by Time Magazine. He delivered the invocation at the National Prayer Breakfast and served as an adviser to President Obama, as well as commencement speaker for the IU School of Medicine.

Brantly has shared his experiences through various platforms. He and his wife co-authored the book "Called for Life: How Loving Our Neighbor Led Us Into the Heart of the Ebola Epidemic." They appeared in the feature-length film "Facing Darkness," produced by Samaritan's Purse. Brantly was also featured in an exhibit on outbreaks at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. He has used his visibility to advocate for humanitarian aid and to promote compassion over fear in public health crises.

Brantly has continued his commitment to global medical service, spending time at an emergency field hospital outside Mosul, Iraq, treating a range of patients. He and his family later returned to Africa, where he works at Mukinge Mission Hospital in Zambia, a 200-bed facility serving a remote region. As a survivor, Brantly has stated it is his duty to speak out on behalf of those still suffering, a conviction that shapes his ongoing work in global health, humanitarian service, and infectious disease response.