Life with Paulette.  And Without. 
 
Paulette DuRette worked as a New York City Test & Trace Public Health Advisor since its inception in May of 2020.  We are the people that call you if you test positive for Covid 19.  It isn’t for everyone; contact tracers have to be part therapist, part investigative reporter, and fully focused on convincing people to take care of themselves.  Mostly, tracers have to be compassionate, informed, honest, and dedicated to bringing down the spread of this devastating virus.  Few on the Test & Trace team of 5000 New York tracers are better at all of that than our Paulette, who had a knack of taking care of her colleagues as well as she cared for the residents of NYC.
 
Covid 19 took Paulette from us on February 2, 2021.  She had taken care of her family members with the virus and brought them through it. She, being Paulette or our PD, even worked the first day she had Covid.
 
We marveled because she never missed a day of work nor an opportunity to brighten our day. 
 
Paulette was a natural at caring, maybe because she filled her own house with love.  Love for her spouse, Patrick, and their four children and her extended family.   That heartfelt caring spread to her neighbors, her friends, and her colleagues.  A legacy that we all will prolong, carrying Paulette’s heart in our hearts. 
 
What Paulette also shared with us, was her love and deep caring for her Special 9 year old son Patrick who is a Special Needs Child. It wasn't easy, but Paulette balanced caring for her son at home and working full time with us. She didn't let the burden of the closure of the NYC Special Needs program due to Covid-19, slow her down. She focused on the opportunity to continue making a contribution to his support and education and the recovery of our city.

Her Family Lost both Paulette and her Income - So our Goal is to raise $55,000 a year -- the loss of Paulette's income
 
Our Request: Let’s all apply that legacy to the reality of family life after Paulette and help her husband Patrick provide for 9 year old Patrick, whose neuro diversity will require a bit extra to fill the caring role that his Mom provided.