A talented microbiology graduate who embarked on a degree aged just 16 is celebrating her latest career milestone – a national social care award nomination.
Deborah Deru, 23, who lives in Mount Pleasant, Swansea, moved to the UK in late 2022 to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health at Swansea University after completing her degree in microbiology at the University of Georgia in the USA – two years ahead of time.
She took up a role as a support worker with M&D Care in Swansea a year later, supporting adults with complex physical and mental health needs at a supported living facility in Morriston, and quickly progressed to a Senior Support Worker.
Now the talented graduate, who originally wanted to become a doctor and was fast-tracked through school in the US because of her remarkable brainpower, is in the lineup for one of the social care industry’s most prestigious accolades – a Wales Care Award 2025.
The awards, sponsored overall by Meddyg Care and organised by care industry champions Care Forum Wales, recognise the outstanding work of those in the care sector, with all finalists guaranteed to come away with either a gold, silver or bronze prize in recognition of their achievements.
Deborah, who grew up in Austell, Georgia, USA, and whose father is a prominent Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Georgia in Babcock, where she undertook her original degree, has been shortlisted for the Care Practitioner in Residential Care Award.
She will discover her fate at a glittering awards ceremony to be held at Holland House Hotel in Cardiff on Friday, October 17.
Deborah, who has three older brothers, said: “I wasn’t expecting to get through to the final! I left my home in the States to study in the UK and wasn’t expecting to still be here, so it’s really rewarding for me to be seen and recognised.
“Previously, I had an internship with a non-governmental agency in Nigeria as my dad is Nigerian. That lasted six months and involved visiting people in hospital in Lagos State who were receiving treatment for various ailments. I was also in charge of the social media aspect of the agency’s work, generating public donations.
“I always had the inclination of wanting to become a doctor, but I’ve since realised that I want to do more than giving out medicine. With that internship, I noticed that while doctors have overall oversight of health, they did not see the nitty gritty of what goes on – that’s down to the people who visit these patients everyday who find ways to support them that are not medicinal.
“How we help people to communicate and live their lives happily, regardless of their diagnosis, is so important. It’s as much about what happens outside of hospital, and how we help people cope with everyday life, as it is about what goes on inside. The experiences I’ve had have made me want to do more.”
Deborah grew up in Austell, Georgia, US, where her talent for academia shone out at an early age.
“I’ve always been very good at school and went to uni at 16 which is really unusual!” she said.
“My dad is a professor in molecular biology and has written several papers. I took a lot of advanced classes, so by the time I was 16, I already had enough credits and was happy to go to uni!”
In her current role, Deborah supports 10 adults in a supported living facility in Morriston, Swansea, with a variety of challenging physical and mental health needs such as epilepsy, diabetes, autism and learning difficulties. By providing person-centred care, she helps the residents manage their conditions confidently and safely, improves their overall wellbeing and reduces further hospital visits.
“We try and promote their independence as much as we can as that’s the end goal, for them to live independently one day. That’s our biggest driver,” she said.
“As someone who struggles with their own mental health, it gives me a chance to give back. I’ve had some very traumatic experiences in my own life which help me to put myself in the shoes of residents who’ve been through traumatic experiences themselves. It gives me a chance to support them better because I understand what they’re going through.
“The one thing I’m most proud of is how all the residents know they can trust me and can come to me with information to help them manage situations that they’re dealing with. This is for me my biggest achievement.
“In the future, when I look back on my life in this instance, I will feel like I’ve made a difference, and I feel people will remember me for some of the things I’ve done for them.”
Sian Henley-Davies, M&D Care’s Marketing Coordinator, said: “We are incredibly proud that three of our outstanding colleagues – Deborah Deru, Rob Hayward, and Les Whelan – have been named as finalists in this year’s Wales Care Awards. Their passion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the people we support make a real difference every single day.
“Each of them embodies our values and has had a lasting, positive impact on our organisation, their teams, and the wider community. We wish them all the very best for the awards and thank them for the exceptional contribution they make to M&D Care.”
Mario Kreft MBE, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, said: “Care Forum Wales has been working tirelessly for more than 30 years to promote the social care sector.
“We established the Wales Care Awards to show our appreciation to the workforce and the wider sector for the remarkable contribution everybody makes, day in day out.
“The event underlines the importance of the social care sector. It is the glue that binds our communities together, both socially and economically.
“Our mission is to be the voice of social care in Wales to advocate on the sector’s behalf, holding truth to power in order to secure a fair deal to recognise the dedication of our front line heroes and heroines across our nation.
“If you don’t recognise the people who do the caring you will never provide the standards that people need and never recognise the value of the people who need the care in society.
“Every single one of our finalists is a winner and will be presented with a gold, silver or bronze award.”
