The Christian Dallas nurse infected with Ebola expressed gratitude for all the kind messages and prayers she's received and remains hopeful that she will recover.
"I'm doing well and want to thank everyone for prayers," she said in a statement, released by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Tuesday.
Nina Pham, 26, is the first patient to contract the disease while on U.S. soil. She was infected with the virus from an unknown "breach of protocol" in treating Thomas Eric Duncan when he returned to Texas Presbyterian Hospital a second time, according to Centers for Disease Control.
Pham is a 2010 graduate of the Bachelors of Nursing program at Texas Christian University, a spokesperson for the school told NBC News. She worked as a critical care nurse at the hospital and is one of at least 70 people who cared for Duncan before he died last Wednesday.
Pham lives with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in an apartment complex in north Dallas. On Sunday, her Bible-study teacher told Dallas Morning News that she is a loving, highly motivated nurse who lives to care for others.
"The family is very dedicated and go out of their way to help people," Tom Ha, who taught Pham in a bible class, said. "I expect, with the big heart she has, she went beyond what she was supposed to do to help anyone in need."
Pham was in stable condition Sunday at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
Father Jim Khoi, Pham's pastor, says she has received a blood transfusion from Christian Ebola survivor, Dr. Kent Brantly.
Pham's online profile indicated she attended Nolan Catholic High.
According to Dallas Morning News, the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth released a statement Monday that said "its parishioners pray for the nurse that has been affected with Ebola and for her family and associates."
Hung Le, who is president and counselor at Our Lady of Fatima, said parishioners are uniting in prayer for the Vietnamese-American nurse, whom many of them have known for a long time.
"Our most important concern as a church is to help the family as they are coping with this," Le told Dallas Morning News." As a parish, we are praying for them."
Pham's family regularly attends the church on East Lancaster Avenue in East Fort Worth, friends said. But on Sunday, they didn't attend Mass, a close friend said. However, her family, known for being quiet and private, reached out to another family and asked for prayers.
