Posted on May 8, 2020
Mask fabrication added to list of creative skills on Custom Seating and Assistive Tech team
Mary Free Bed’s Custom Seating and Assistive Technology team is a creative bunch that finds solutions to life’s everyday challenges. From customized seating fabrication to tools that help patients complete tasks, there are few needs these therapists and tech experts can’t meet.
So when the need arose to protect Mary Free Bed patients, visitors and staff members during the COVID-19 pandemic, they rose to the challenge.
“Once we heard of the challenging time we all were going to be up against, we were able to quickly re-tool from sewing upholstery for our custom seating solutions for wheelchairs to sewing homemade masks to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Matthew Scholtens, manager of Custom Seating and Assistive Technology. “Our willing and adaptable team quickly created a plan to research different homemade mask designs and started sewing masks.”
Since the effort began a few weeks ago, they’ve made about 560 masks, initially using Mary Free Bed Alumni T-shirts to craft ties for the masks. After a request for donations, the team has more supplies to work with.
To follow state mandates, the team members have been working from home to limit the number of people on Mary Free Bed’s main campus.
In this video, occupational therapist Beth Avery explains why she wanted to help.
