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Nurse Dedicated To Fighting Hep C Decides To Help Ebola Patients

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- A longtime nurse who dedicated her life to helping those suffering from Hepatitis C is leaving Colorado to help find a cure for Ebola.

Andrea Herman has worked as a nurse for 30 years but will soon travel to West Africa to help those suffering from Ebola.

Herman has a history of working on the front lines of research, most recently her dedication to finding a cure for Hep C at the University of Colorado Hospital.

Herman, 54, is a clinical research nurse and has been working with patients on experimental treatments for Hep C. It's been her mission for the past 15 years.

"I believed and I stuck with it until we really do have a cure," said Herman.

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With so many different cures available for Hep C, Herman is ready to move on.

"Ebola is the next big infectious disease and I thought that would be interesting," said Herman.

Herman started her detective of diseases 30 years ago, first with HIV and then Hep C, now Ebola.

"I am like a little kid again and I have so much to learn," said Herman.

Herman's childhood hero is Cherry Ames, a nurse/detective who solved mysteries in medical settings in 27 novels.

Andrea Herman
Andrea Herman (credit: CBS)

When asked why she is going into the danger zone, Herman replied, "Why not? If not for me, who else?"

Herman will leave family and friends to live in Sierra Leone to manage a clinical trial using blood plasma from an Ebola survivor to treat an infected person.

"She's just a loving spirit and I'm going to miss her," said Herman's patient Lisa Reusser.

Herman said her husband and children are supportive of her new quest to help find a cure for Ebola. They plan to keep in touch through Skype and email.

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