Finally, on Aug. 24, after over a year of collaboration, the Ebola Treatment Center of Makeni, Sierra Leone released their final Ebola patient. This is massive news for the disease-torn country, but something that everyone should be celebrating (even here in America).

Adama Sankoh (dressed in white) Sierra Leone's last Ebola patient

The impact of Ebola has been easy to ignore in the U.S. For many of us, myself included, the disease seemed almost trivial; no worse than the common cold. And amidst the cries of “New plague!” and “Ebola apocalypse!” I became skeptical and cynical towards the disease. I scoffed at it. The death toll was minimal, the impact was minuscule, and the implications seemed nearly non-existent…for me.

I hadn’t stopped to think about what this sickness meant for someone who wasn’t observing it from a computer chair. I failed to empathize with those who’d experienced Ebola firsthand -- who’d seen loved ones torn away by a disease no one could understand.

Now, however, I realize these deaths aren’t just digits on a screen. Each number represents a heart wrenching struggle against an invisible enemy; and the inevitable loss to that enemy. Therefore, the fact that Sierra Leone is nearly Ebola free gives people reason to rejoice. And rejoice they have.

In many ways, Adama Sankoh’s case was routine. But the fact that the International Medical Corps made the release of Ebola patients ‘routine’ affords celebration in and of itself. The sheer human capacity for collaborative effort against this indomitable beast strikes awe, and the work of the IMC has been nothing short of extraordinary.

While we celebrate this momentous event in the Ebola outbreak, we must also understand that the fight is far from over. There are still Ebola cases all across Africa. For Sierra Leone, there are still 32 days left in the countdown (from the time of this article's publishing). Once that number hits zero, Sierra Leone will be declared Ebola Free, and the celebration will shake the country.