The Story of Decontee Sawyer, Executive Director of Kofa Foundation, is one of power, strength, humility and grace in the midst of grief and loss. It is also the silent realization that it is not government but God that will provide and protect when all else fails. Patrick Sawyer wanted nothing more than to return to his wife, Decontee, and his three children, Ava (6), Mia (5), Bella (18mos). Yet, having contracted Ebola from his sister while traveling upon the African continent, the International Lawyer died the death of an African pariah and American vagabond. The H5N1 Blog [http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/h5n1/2014/07/ebola-in-nigeriapatrick-...] reports:

“Looking to get to the bottom of Sawyer’s strange ailment on the Asky Airline flight, which Sawyer transferred on in Togo, hospital officials say, he was tested for both malaria and HIV AIDS. However, when both tests came back negative, he was then asked whether he had made contact with any person with the Ebola Virus, to which Sawyer denied. Sawyer’s sister, Princess had died of the deadly virus on Monday, July 7, 2014 at the Catholic Hospital in Monrovia. On Friday, July 25, 2014, 18 days later, Sawyer died in Lagos.”

Isolated by a nation that feared him a security threat and considered undesirable by his President, whom thought him a needless political risk going into the Mid Term Elections, Patrick entered eternity without glancing upon his beloved children or holding the hand of the woman whom sowed tears the day she said “I Do” to him. All he desired was one last look, one last touch.

Patrick was a conservative that wanted his home nation, Liberia, to extol the same freedoms and liberties that his new home nation, the United States, constitute. He desired that Liberia pursue the strategies of free markets that bring about personal property ownership, technological advances and cultural stability. He executed business on behalf of Liberia but sought the peace and freedom of the US. Yet, his old home defiled his good name and his new home silenced itself when he was in greatest need. Cursed from Sovereign to Sovereign, Patrick Sawyer became the Poster for a Threat that President Barack Obama and his Administration were not prepared to handle: Ebola.

Decontee, a Progressive, had come to a slow but subtle realization: “Obama was slow to respond”. She had voted for him and every part of her inner being knew that he would not disappoint. He had failed in other areas but, in this moment of life and death, he most certainly would defend. However, the most that she has received in terms of help from the White House is a letter offering condolences and pledging assistance. (The letter also included a voter registration form and donor form for Hillary Clinton 2016 but that’s to be expected. Laugh Out Loud! I digress). Since his untimely death, Decontee Sawyer has fought both nations’ leaders to obtain proofs of death and to ascertain the rightful subsidy to provide for her family’s needs. She has been unduly criticized by Liberians for speaking out and by Americans for not demanding more of the Administration. However, she perseveres and seeks to meet the needs of her children including, on that requires special services. Recently, it was reported that US Senator Al Franken met with her for three hours to assist her in obtaining Social Security Survivor Benefits.