Nursing everyone she can
Holly Tonini/For the Observer-Reporter
Debora Dutra with Big Ed at Angel Ridge Animal Rescue
Photo courtesy of Debora Dutra
Debora Dutra volunteering at a dog shelter in Brazil
This is part of an occasional series on immigrants in our area.
Debora Dutra’s instinct is to nurture.
In her native Brazil, Dutra worked as a maternity nurse at an acclaimed Sao Paulo hospital. She also volunteered at a clinic that ministered to the city’s large homeless population and at dog shelters.
Dutra emigrated to the United States in 2016 to join her husband, Giancarlo Spata, who had relocated to Rochester, N.Y., to pursue a master’s degree in accounting and finance and then accepted a job at CONSOL Energy in Canonsburg.
But the F2 (dependent spouse) visa she obtained prohibits her from working.
Dutra, 35, plans to work as a nurse here, but she is unable to get a job until she passes U.S. language and nursing proficiency tests and a prospective employer agrees to sponsor her work visa.
So, Dutra enrolled in classes at the Literacy Council of Southwestern Pennsylvania, where tutors are helping her study for the courses necessary to become a nurse in the United States.
And she fills her spare time doing something that comes naturally to her: helping others.
“I like to help people. I was always very involved with helping when I was in Brazil,” said Dutra. “I used to do a lot of volunteer work, so I wanted to continue doing that.”
While she lived in Rochester, Dutra volunteered at Monroe Community Hospital, where she assisted the elderly – leading recreational activities, feeding them, helping them organize their rooms, and visiting with them.
When Dutra, an animal advocate and compassionate vegetarian, moved to Washington County last September, she and Giancarlo began volunteering at Angel Ridge Animal Rescue in Chartiers Township.
Three times a week, Dutra visits the shelter, where she walks and bathes dogs, and assists in adoptions.
“She’s an avid dog volunteer and she’s so empathetic to their needs. She comforts our dogs who need a little more attention,” said Dian Geyer of Angel Ridge. “She works on training them, and she loves to spend time with them. We are thrilled that she’s here. Everybody here loves her and her husband.”
Dutra also has become a reliable and well-liked volunteer at Fairhill Manor Christian Church, where she is a member of the church’s Prayer Shawl Ministry, which knits or crochets shawls, blankets and hats for cancer patients and others in need.
Dutra and her husband also help to prepare dinners at the church for special occasions and events.
“She’s a very special young lady,” said Diane Palfreyman, director of the prayer shawl ministry. “She is the hardest worker and is so eager to help others. She has just taken off. I’m so proud of her.”
Dutra initially was hesitant to move to the United States.
“I am a brave woman, and I face everything and am not afraid to do new things, but I was afraid of the prejudice I might suffer,” said Dutra. “Sometimes I get so sad seeing in social media or on the news the bad things some people are saying about Latin Americans, that we are dangerous or criminals. I’d like to show people the truth, that we all have good hearts and can do wonderful things.”
Dutra had other concerns. She spoke no English, and her family and friends – her support system – were nearly 8,000 miles away.
Tasks like trying to schedule a doctor’s appointment were difficult.
For the first few months in Rochester, she cried a lot.
“It was difficult because I left my job and everything is different here – the food, the weather, the movies. I couldn’t speak English so I didn’t know how to express myself, and I also couldn’t work,” said Dutra. “But I am adapting and I feel comfortable and more confident, especially because I am better at English. There are so many good and kind people who have helped me.”
She is grateful for the volunteers at the literacy council and the Rush-Henrietta Central School District near Rochester, where she first took ESOL classes.
Dutra has embraced Southwestern Pennsylvania’s cultural offerings and enjoys visiting museums, attending festivals, concerts, flea markets and public markets, and watching sitcoms and movies.
Dutra is waiting for the results of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), which she recently took, and she is excited at the idea of working in a hospital again.
Until then, she”ll continue to make a difference as a volunteer, and work to lift up those around her.
“I’d like to encourage more people to respect and help all living beings, the animals and each other regardless of any color, race, income or whatever, because there is no difference between us,” said Dutra. “Inside, we are all the same.”