Born in the tropical city of Natal in Brazil, Ela moved a little further north to Mossoro when she was ten. Walking through the city streets with her mum, Ela spotted the veterinary college buildings. She said to her mother, “One day, I am going to study there.” Ten years later, Ela enrolled in that same college to spend the next seven years hard at work earning her veterinary degree! Ela graduated from vet school in 2018 after completing internships focusing on small animal medicine, anesthesia, and a year-long surgical internship. She began work at a practice with one of her teachers, and then spent the next year working in a 24-hour emergency hospital. In this hectic and demanding environment, Ela treated a diverse range of critical care cases.

In 2019 Ela made the bold decision to leave Brazil for Canada, arriving here on Vancouver Island in the middle of a West Coast winter to take on the ambitious task of learning a new language and starting a new life adventure. She quickly rose to the challenge, and shortly started work at a local clinic as a veterinary technician. Ela enjoyed the opportunity to hone her skills in aspects of veterinary medicine like laboratory diagnostic tests that are technician specialties. Ela joined the ELVH team in 2021, and truly appreciates the supportive team and feeling of family here. She looks forward to completing the licensing requirements to become a practicing vet in Canada, and in the meantime takes great joy in providing excellent care for her patients and connecting with their humans. 

When she moved to BC, Ela’s fur-family remained with her sister in Brazil – senior kitties Naomi and Nina and pups Maria and Sofia felt that a big trip north was too much change in their golden years. Ela dreams one day of welcoming a new canine friend to her family – a sassy little dachshund, perhaps! – and in the meantime, her husband and friends keep her company as she hikes, cooks, shops, and enjoys life on a very different Coast.