'Nothing can separate me from the love of God': The first American Ebola patient shares his profound realization on deathbed

He was the first American who contracted the deadly Ebola virus - fearful and sick, Dr. Kent Brantly came to realize something important for Christians and their relationship with God. Amid the pain and moments of uncertainty, from being diagnosed positive with the disease, a song came to his mind, which brought him comfort and a stronger faith, whether he lived or died in that moment.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - "When I was laying in my bed in Liberia, thinking, 'This could be my last breath - I don't know if I'm going to live any longer,' a scripture kept coming back to my mind," shared Dr. Brantly during his guest appearance on a recent episode of The Church Boys podcast.

"In fact, it was a children's song that I played on my computer that said, 'Nothing can separate us from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.'"

Lyrics of the song that derived from the Romans 8:39 helped Dr. Brantly gain comfort during the times he believed he was lying on his deathbed. As the song played out in his head, he realized something he considered profound.

"And in that moment that was what I needed to be faithful to God - even if it was just with my will, my desire to be faithful, to know whether I live or die, nothing can separate me from the love of God. That was profound to me. It wasn't a cure that I needed, it wasn't having somebody beside me 24 hours a day that I needed to be faithful to God. It was the assurance that I was secure in his love," he explained.

Through his book, co-written by his wife Amber, he believes he can help people realize what he found during those dreadful times.

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