Brave Burton nurse to leave UK to help Ukrainians on Polish border
A brave UHDB Nurse is travelling to a Przemyśl on the Polish border to care for terrified Ukrainians fleeing their war-torn country.
Debbie Painter, a Senior Emergency Nurse Practitioner at Queen’s Hospital Burton Emergency Department, and two other medical professionals from across the UK, will act as first responders for those needing medical attention as part of the “UKDoctors” programme.
The 50-year-old from Brownhills has been granted permission to take emergency leave for just under two weeks to travel to Przemyśl — around seven miles from the Ukrainian border.
Debbie said: “I visited Kyiv just a few years ago. A normal city just like Birmingham, with a Zara and a shopping centre just like the Bullring. The people went to work every day doing normal jobs just like us.
“I’ve worked in A&E looking after the injured and wounded for years and worked as a medic at many events and festivals. Now I want to give help to these poor people.”
Debbie will make the journey to the Ukrainian border on Sunday 10 April in a van packed up with supplies to help the team she is travelling with on their mission to support. The journey will take the team just over 20 hours.
Mother of two, Debbie, said: “I’m ready to go there and help now. Me and my daughter have been on many city breaks together and Kyiv is one of my favourite places I have been with her. Its heart-breaking to see the news reports knowing that I have been there but cant recognise it as the place I visited anymore.
“I’m used to dealing with trauma in the job that I work in now, so I’m taking a lot of transferrable skills with me, what I will find tough is the humanitarian aspect of the work and leaving my own family behind. My family are nothing but proud of what I am doing, my youngest however has made me promise not to stay out there for too long.”
Debbie, who has funded the trip herself, said she has been overwhelmed with the kindness and support from colleagues and local communities on her Go Fund Me page.