Local families make medical masks
By Kathy Thomson
At least two local groups of women have been using their sewing skills to help battle the coronavirus by sewing masks for nurses and others on the front lines of this strange new “war.”
Mary Heirman, her daughters Jennifer and Michelle, and granddaughter Brooke Kayga have been working as a team to produce 90 masks to donate to local nurses as well as other workers at ResourceCare, Kindred at Home, the Shackelford County Health Clinic, and Brookshires. They also sent a few to a relative who is an ER tech in the Waco area, and to Abilene for Michelle and other workers at the USDA.
“I quilt, so I had a lot of material. Linda Kayga donated some elastic, and Terra Bartee donated material,” said Heirman. “We found the patterns online. My daughters cut out material and ironed while Brooke and I sewed.”
The assembly-line effort has allowed them to produce 20-25 masks per day.
“Elastic has become hard to find, so Jennifer cut up her daughter’s elastic head bands, and we’ve used those,” said Heirman. “We’ve made bigger sizes for the men, and had some that just came out small that we figure could be used by pediatric patients. It’s not the best stitching in the world, but it will stay on your face.”
Heirman said that they have enjoyed the family project.
“We’ll go to making them with tie straps when the elastic runs out,” she said. “Amazon’s delivery date on elastic is June.”
Trumi Wiloth and Mindy Skelton have also been sewing masks.
Wiloth’s two daughters, both Albany graduates, asked their mother to make some masks for the hospital where they work, and she got her sister-in-law to help her sew.
Both daughters work for Covenant Hospital, in Lubbock – Kaitlyn in pediatrics and Robin in fundraising.
“Covenant has not had any virus cases in pediatrics,” Wiloth added. “But the nurses were asked to wear masks for their own protection since they also come in contact with the parents.”
Wiloth said that they have sent 46 masks, and have used all the elastic they had on hand.
“We used some fun prints since they’re for the pediatric ward,” said Wiloth. “Some of the kids have been scared of all the people wearing masks, and we thought that might make them more comfortable.”
