ATLANTA -- Dressed in a gray suit and looking healthy, Amber Vinson was declared by doctors to be Ebola free on Tuesday.
"And that she can return to her community," announced Emory University Hospital Dr. Bruce Ribner, "To her family and to her life, without any concerns of transmitting this virus to any other individuals."
The 29-year-old nurse then took to the podium and thanked her healer.
"First and foremost I want to thank God," said Vinson. "I also want to take a moment to publicly thank my dear grandparents, aunt and uncle who have been visiting me here at Emory, supporting me and making sure I knew my family was there for me throughout my illness."
After hugging doctors and nurses who got her through the toughest times, Vinson then boarded another flight destined for freedom.
The nurse arrived at Dallas Love Field aboard a Care-Flite twin engine plane just after 5 p.m. Tuesday. Judge Clay Jenkins said that he, along with several hospital colleagues and Vinson's mother and fiance, were there to greet her.
"She came off that plane and hugged her mom and fiance," he said. "She immediately went to nursing and was wiping her mom's eyes."
Jenkins says Vinson is "free to go anywhere." But, he also said she'll likely remain near her mother and fiance as they finish up their quarantine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.
Vinson cared for the late Thomas Duncan when he was initially admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital with Ebola. Though she wore protective gear recommended by the CDC at the time, it's now widely thought that equipment was not sufficient.
Vinson and fellow nurse Nina Pham, who cared for Duncan at the same time, fell ill within days of each other.
"As a nurse and now as someone who has experienced what it is like to be faced with a life-threatening illness, I'm so appreciative and grateful for your exceptional skill, warmth and care," Vinson said.
Vinson has been tight-lipped about medical care she has received while fighting Ebola. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas and Emory University in Atlanta were not given permission to release details of her healthcare, per the family's request.
Tuesday, Vinson admitted she did receive potentially life-saving blood products from Ebola survivors.
"Thanks to Dr. Kent Brantley and Nancy Writebol," said Vinson during her comments. "Both of whom were successfully treated here at Emory, for their donations of plasma to me and other patients."
She also reminded everyone not to lose focus on West Africa, where the Ebola virus has killed more than 4,000 people.
Vinson has been criticized for potentially exposing passengers on a commercial Frontier Airlines flight from Cleveland, Ohio to Dallas-Fort Worth on the day she went to the hospital with the earliest symptoms of Ebola.
She had reportedly contacted the CDC to alert them that she had a low-grade fever but was given the go-ahead to fly. The CDC acknowledges that was a mistake. Healthcare workers and others in close contact with Ebola patients will not be allowed to take public transportation in the future.
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, where Vinson works, released the following statement:
"Today is a joyful day at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. Amber Vinson is free of Ebola and coming home. Like many of her colleagues, she made a brave choice to volunteer and provide care for a critically ill Ebola patient. That led to a personal fight against the disease, and she is to be commended for her strength and courage.
Amber and her fellow caregiver, Nina Pham, are an inspiration for healthcare workers nationwide, and we at Texas Health Dallas could not be more proud of them."
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins also released a statement saying:
"I'm thrilled for Amber, her mother Debra, fiancé Derrick, and all those who love and have been praying for this "hometown healthcare hero." Her return is an important milestone in Dallas County's fight against Ebola. She returns to us Ebola-free and I know her big smile and strong spirit will serve as a huge boost to the staff of Presbyterian Hospital and to all of North Texas. She asked in her press statement that we be mindful and prayerful of the thousands of families in West Africa affected by Ebola. I echo her sentiments and offer my observation that her request gives us a window into the soul of this remarkable and heroic nurse."
WFAA's Jobin Panicker contributed to this report
