Medical relief charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) are celebrating their one thousandth survivor of the deadly Ebola virus across their treatment centres in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

18-year-old Kollie James, the son of a MSF health outreach worker Alexander James contracted the disease whilst living with his family in Monrovia.

His mother died on September 21, followed quickly by his uncle, who was working as a nurse and looking after her.

His two younger sisters did receive attention at a centre in Monrovia, but sadly they too lost their fight against the infection that has has claimed the lives of 4,500 people.

As part of his role with MSF Kollie's father Alexander travelled around villages teaching prevention methods and sharing information on what to if symptoms develop.

He was in Foya, and after the devastating deaths of the rest of his family, Kollie travelled from Monrovia to be with him. However, as his father explains, the tragic deaths endured by the family left them vulnerable, as fear of the disease began to take hold.

When my son arrived, people in the village would not accept us. They told us that our family had all died and to take Kollie James away. I was angered by their reaction. I knew he wasn’t showing any symptoms and was not a threat to them but because of the stigma, they wouldn’t let us stay. Alexander James

Alexander then presented his son to a treatment centre in Foya, as he noticed he was looking tired and drawn. Sadly, he tested positive for the virus. Then followed the first of several sleepless nights, as he described to MSF.

When the test came back positive, it was a night of agony for me. I didn’t even shut my eyes for one second. I spent the whole night just crying and thinking about what would happen now to my son. Alexander James

Alexander then was able to visit in his son, and watched as his situation slowly started to improve. After losing his wife, brother and two daughters to the disease, he understandably feared the worst. He describes:

I didn’t want to see my son in there. When I saw him in there, I thought about his mother. I already lost her, I wanted him to survive. I wanted him to be strong. [...] Alexander James

18-year-old Kollie James. Credit: Katy Athersuch/MSF

Kollie is now out of hospital, and back at home with his father. The family celebrated with a party, and father and son have been leaning on each other as they begin to cope with the grief of their losses.

Kollie now says he wants to study biology and become a doctor. His father said he was pleased to have been spared his son, when so many of his loved ones were lost.

Then MSF told me, that Kollie is the 1000th survivor from Ebola. This is a great thing, but I was wondering, how many more people have we lost? How many have not survived? Of course I am so happy to have Kollie still, but it’s hard not to think of all those who are no longer with us. Alexander James

Read Alexander's story in his own words in full on the MSF website.