Ebola is a killer. The epidemic raging in West Africa has taken nearly 5,000 lives, sickened thousands more victims and left a scar of loss for the families left behind.

NBC News is undertaking a special, cross-platform initiative with Facebook called “Spread the Story #FightEbola” to help put a face to the human tragedy. Through this partnership, NBC News hopes to raise awareness of the unspeakable cost of the crisis.

Starting Monday, over 24 hours, NBCNews.com will launch 24 untold stories of children and families affected by Ebola to capture the untold personal tragedy brought by each death. These personal stories will also air on “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.”

“Spread the Story #FightEbola” will launch on TODAY with an in-depth story from Katie Meyler, a woman from New Jersey behind More Than Me, a not-for-profit in Liberia that aims to keep young girls in school. She will share her inspiring story and her efforts to raise money for local children impacted by the epidemic.

NBC News and Facebook are working together with major relief organizations including the International Medical Corps, the Red Cross and Save the Children to present a comprehensive portrait of Ebola’s human impact around the world. Starting Monday, people on Facebook will see a message at the top of their News Feeds with an option to share stories and donate to the three charities. For more information, log on to Facebook.com/NBCNews and join the conversation using #FightEbola, or go to Facebook.com/fightebola.