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DETROIT (AP) — Those who interacted with Craig Spencer at Grosse Pointe North High School in suburban Detroit couldn't help but notice something special about the young man, who years later would risk his own safety to help others survive Ebola, according to a former teacher.
Spencer, an emergency room physician, was being treated for the virus Saturday at a New York City hospital. He was hospitalized Thursday, six days after returning from Guinea where he worked with Doctors without Borders.
"I can tell you that no one here is surprised that he was serving those in need in Africa," Grosse Pointe North principal Kate Calabresa Murray said. "We were not surprised he combined his passion for others and science and joined Doctors Without Borders. We are incredibly proud of him."
Spencer, 33, graduated from Grosse Pointe North where he played sports and was member of the National Honor Society. He earned his medical degree at Wayne State University's medical school in Detroit.
Murray, an English and French teacher at the time, said Spencer wasn't one of her students but she remembers "his smile" as well as his interest in science and service.
He exhibited a "maturity beyond his years" that allowed "him to connect with diverse students and adults in the building," she told The Associated Press on Friday.
Health officials in New York said Spencer began feeling tired Tuesday, and alerted authorities when he developed a fever Thursday morning.
"Without a doubt, he's going to pull through this and he's going to be jumping right back to help wherever he can," friend Patrick Crossman said.
Crossman, of Vancouver, British Columbia, said he met Spencer in 2007 in the Detroit area. They had first become acquainted on a website that connects travelers with local hosts, and Crossman ended up staying for a few days with Spencer.
"He's just a normal, average guy that happens to have a very important role in society," Crossman said.
The two also have bonded over shared international experiences: Spencer taught English in China and Crossman did the same in South Korea and Saudi Arabia. Crossman said Spencer blends his quest for adventure with "putting others above himself."
A woman identifying herself as Spencer's mother declined to be interviewed Friday in Grosse Pointe Woods by The Associated Press.
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