Marta Lado, an everyday hero with the King

Today this blog is dressed smar, to go to the Royal Palace of Madrid.

Our Majesty the King Felipe VI of Spain is delivering the decorations of the Order of Civil Merit and one the awards will go to settle on the chest of Marta Lado.

This award rewards the merits of civil character acquired by public administrations-dependent personnel or by persons independients who have lent services relevant to the State with extra work, helpful or initiatives with exemplary record in the performance of their duties.

Perhaps her name doesn´t say anything for many of you, but these images will do:

Marta is an Internal Medicine physician, an expert in Tropical Diseases and International Aid Worker. I met her at the Hospital Universitario de Torrejón, where someone described she as “The most courageous person I know”, and possibly many of us agree.

She arrived in Freetown (capital of Sierra Leone) in March 2014 thanks to the King’s College of London, when the #ébola epidemic started but obviously it was no planned. But she didn´t run away. She was there coordinating assistance to more than a hundred patients infected with the virus per week. Remember the mess here with a number of cases not even comparable.

Recently SEMICYUC made a newsletter explaining her history, because she was invited by the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine to give a keynote speech at the #IntensivosDonosti Congress. We met coincidentally in the old town of San Sebastian, and I swear you that I almost asked her for an autograph. Simply we had a hug, that things normal people do

And today RTVE transmits live from 12 PM the ceremony.

Marta is always smiling. From Coruña to Freetown never loses that. A brave woman, an everyday hero who makes the difference and works for a better and more human world.

From here, our more sense and proud recognition. A friend, a companion, a crack.

We encourage you to visit and collaborate on her project: King´s Sierra Leona Partnership. Together we add more, and you can also help to #ébola victims do not fall into oblivion.

WELL DONE MATE!