A surgeon connected to a Jenkintown nonprofit is fighting for his life after contracting Ebola while treating patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo, writes The Bucks County Courier Times.
The case has brought a frightening global health crisis closer to home for Montgomery County residents.
It also shines a spotlight on a quiet local organization with an extraordinary global reach.
Dr. Peter Stafford is a board-certified general surgeon specializing in burn care. He tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola while at Nyankunde Hospital in Bunia. He was serving the hospital through Serge, a Christian missions organization headquartered in Jenkintown.
Stafford was evacuated to Germany for specialized treatment after becoming so ill he could barely stand on his own.
The outbreak he walked into is staggering in scale. Authorities have documented more than 500 suspected cases and at least 131 deaths in Congo’s Ituri Province. This prompted the World Health Organization to declare a global public health emergency.
What makes Stafford’s case especially haunting is how it happened. He unknowingly operated on a patient with severe abdominal pain days before the Africa CDC even confirmed the outbreak was Ebola. By the time anyone knew what they were dealing with, the exposure had already occurred.
Stafford’s wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford is an obstetrician who has served alongside her husband since 2023. She remains asymptomatic along with their four young children and fellow physician Dr. Patrick LaRochelle.
The family has been transported to Germany for monitoring.
LaRochelle is being treated separately at Bulovka Hospital in Prague, which specializes in highly dangerous infections.
Serge, the nonprofit at the center of the story, is no small operation. It was founded in the 1980s by evangelical Presbyterian pastor Jack Miller. The Jenkintown-based organization now supports hundreds of missionaries across more than 25 countries. Several of its leaders are based in the Philadelphia region.
The U.S. has enacted a 30-day travel ban barring non-citizens from entering the country if they have visited Central Africa within the past three weeks.
Federal health officials continue to stress that the risk to the American public remains low. Still, the Bundibugyo strain presents a particular challenge: there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments targeting it specifically.
“Our hearts are with the Stafford family and with the Congolese communities facing this outbreak,” said Matt Allison, executive director of Serge. “Peter and Rebekah have faithfully served vulnerable communities with extraordinary compassion and courage.”
For Montgomery County residents, the story is a stark reminder of how deeply local organizations can be tied to unfolding global crises.
To read more about Peter Stafford, Serge, and what the Ebola outbreak means for the United States, visit The Philly Burbs.
