Life has been a whirlwind for Kent Brantly, M.D. (’03), since his surreal summer of 2014, when the ACU graduate was living quietly with his family as a physician and medical missionary in West Africa, only to become gravely ill and make headlines on every major news network.
One of the few people to have contracted and survived the Ebola virus, he is now the face of efforts to help developing nations defeat and prevent one of the world’s most devastating infectious diseases.
From the White House and Congress, to the American Medical Association and medical missionary societies, to neighborhood churches and his own alma mater, Brantly and his wife, Amber (Carroll ’06), have been busy telling and showing others what it means to love and serve their neighbor. The international platform they have been given to share their experiences is unprecedented.
In the cover story of ACU Today magazine’s new Spring-Summer issue – “The Education of a Medical Missionary” traces their yearlong journey and looks at the influential people and experiences behind their time as Abilene Christian University undergrads. Robin (Ward ’82) Saylor and Paul A. Anthony (’04) contributed to the writing and award-winning Minnesota artist Ron Finger created illustrations of the Brantlys.
Amber and Kent have been ambassadors to the world on behalf of medical missions, their faith and ACU. They are well-spoken, humble and intelligent, never failing to give glory to God for healing and for the opportunities that have now marked their lives.
Kent will be on campus Aug. 24 as featured speaker at Opening Assembly (11 a.m. in Moody Coliseum), marking the first day of ACU’s 109th school year. He also will be presented an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. At 1:30 p.m., he will sign copies of his and Amber’s new book, Called for Life: How Loving Our Neighbor Led Us Into the Heart of the Ebola Epidemic.
He also will sign books at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 21 during ACU’s 109th annual Summit.
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