From the moment that news reports came in about healthcare workers and public authorities desperately needing face masks (to include homemade masks), and other protective gear at hospitals and health facilities to fight the COVID-19 virus, Nicole Gage, HR Director at the Aeronautical Center (AHF-C400) knew that she had to do something. Accustomed to helping people and doing fun projects with her kids, she found an online sewing tutorial of how to make a COVID-19 Fabric Mask.
After a quick trip to the fabric store for some supplies, then setting up a couple of sewing machines and putting out some ironing boards, she was ready to create an assembly line. Her kids were eager to help, and do their part to support those working on the front-line of this pandemic. Nicole’s sister works in the healthcare industry, so the reality of being protected is ever present for this family. "The trickiest part of making these masks was finding the elastic straps used to secure the mask to the face," said Nicole "as most stores were already sold out of the elastic normally used." She quickly found that large hairbands worked well in place of the basic elastic. The entire family pitched in, each doing some part of the mask construction, whether it was cutting fabric, ironing the intricate creases, or sewing the 4 layers of fabric together. "The first day we made 17, and then the second day we made 26, and now we’re up to 46 a day. The process is becoming more streamlined as we go," explains Nicole. Not only that, but the masks are becoming more customized and stylized as the assembly continues. They are adding pipe cleaners to the top of the mask to allow for custom fitting around the face and nose. They also plan to add high quality filters inside the fabric pocket, increasing the protection of each face mask. The fabric is cheerful with patterns depicting OKC Thunder; University of Oklahoma; Lemonade; American Flags and Floral designs. They are masks that someone might actually enjoy wearing.
When Nicole enrolled her girls in a basic sewing class a couple of years ago, she never thought that their skills would be put to use in this manner. Nicole emphasizes, "This is something that people in small pockets across our Nation is doing to respond to the shortage of personal protective equipment for our healthcare workers caring for those struggling with the virus." I have a friend in Seattle who’s doing the same thing. It’s something than anyone can help with. If you don’t sew, there are other ways to help out in the process. You can donate materials or help with delivery.
Nicole’s girls are enjoying putting their time to good use. They’ve shared their images on Instagram and many people are jumping on board to help. Nicole and her husband help with activities as soon as they finish their virtual telework day. Nicole’s husband, Rick Gage, helps with the deliveries and learns where the needs exist. Once the hospitals receive them, they sanitize them further before handing them out to the healthcare workers. "It’s really special how people have been coming together to help by sewing, donating supplies, delivering, etc. When I talked to my girls about this project, we compared healthcare workers battling the virus to soldiers going to war. These masks are part of their armor, and building them is something we can do to help."
