See how a simple chat turned into masks for hundreds of workers
When times are challenging and stressful one of the best ways to help stand strong is to look for the silver linings. It’s inspiring that, in the midst of our current health crisis, the positives have been easy to find. Recently Kelley Horn, Regional Administrator for Silverado Hospice, shared a wonderful story about a lifelong friend who stepped up to help make masks for the frontline healthcare workers who are facing health risks while caring for vulnerable populations.
Here is the story, in Kelley’s own words:
The story is my childhood friend (we were 8 years old when we met), Karon and I were talking about the increasing concern about PPE for healthcare providers. I told Karon that my daughter, Rylie, and I were teaching ourselves how to make fabric masks and were going to try to sew for the SD program. She immediately jumped in and said “I’d like to help; send me the pattern” Three days later, she had rallied the efforts of 12 women who cut fabric, sewed masks and delivered them to Karon who sent probably 150 or so to San Diego and distributed another 300 to LA, Ventura, Orange County. These women went out of their way to drive the masks to the sites mentioned. My husband and I took some of her masks up to SSL Encinitas for Mischelle and her team.
Then five or six days in, Karon called me and said she didn’t know what to do because they wanted to continue supporting Silverado and our teams but the word had gotten out via FB and she was getting flooded with requests from MD’s and Nurses asking to buy them. She wanted to see what I thought; which I thought was incredibly kind because all of these masks were donated by her team (fabric, time, and driving them to sites) plus they had gotten enough money donated to purchase N95s from her husband’s business sources. And donated these to Silverado and others as well. I told her without blinking to help the other nurses and physicians first since they had done so much for us.
Three weeks in, they’ve donated to Kaiser Riverside, CHOC-LA, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Riverside Community, and RUHS. Karon describes fatigued nurses coming to pick up masks, with tears streaming down their faces in gratitude. All the while, they’ve accepted no money.
Last night, she called and said she thought they had enough to donate another 200 masks to Silverado which she put in the mail to me today.
