Boarding a flight to Sierra Leone in 2014, Anne Carey wondered if she would be returning home from the Ebola-affected region of West Africa.
The 57-year-old, who has worked as a nurse and midwife in some of the world's most volatile regions, says it sometimes takes courage to be kind.
"It's just a basic thing of helping people. I work a lot in Australia, but every now and then I think it's good to remind yourself you're part of the world," Ms Carey told AAP.
Ms Carey is WA's Australian of the Year nominee for her humanitarian work with the Red Cross, including several months in Sudan where she continued to treat patients despite attacks on the camp where she was stationed.
"In the attack, women from other organisations were raped, people from the Red Cross were held up at gunpoint and vehicles were stolen, and it was quite a hard time, but the Red Cross stayed," she said.
Ms Carey, who moved with her family to Australia from Ireland as a child, was one of the first volunteers to travel to Ebola-ravaged Sierra Leone to work at the frontline of the disease.
"I felt I really needed to go because the people needed help and there weren't enough people helping, but I was anxious I wasn't going to return from this one."
The Esperance local spent several months treating the deadly disease, and said she felt compelled to assist in any way she could, despite the risks to her own health.
"I think we all needed to respond in some way to Ebola because it wasn't just an African problem, we needed to stop it as it wasn't going to stop by itself at borders."
Ms Carey, who has also worked with indigenous communities in WA and the Northern Territory, said she was honoured to be WA's nominee for Australian of the Year.
"It has just been one of those lovely nominations in life that means a lot to a lot of people," she said.
"It's not just about me, it's about the humanitarian work and nursing."
WA's AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR NOMINEES:
AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Anne Carey. Australian Red Cross aid worker, who worked in Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak
SENIOR AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Graham Edwards. The veterans' advocate, former federal parliament MP and RSL state president
YOUNG AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR
Catherine Hughes. Became and immunisation campaigner when her one-month-old baby died from whooping cough.
LOCAL HERO
Stephen Langford. Royal Flying Doctor Service medical director
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