Covering With Kindness – by Rebecca Taylor

When the coronavirus outbreak first started in the United States in March, Dr. Patel, a Board Member of Rebecca’s Wish and close friend, informed our family of his lack of masks for himself and his team at the hospital. This meant that every one of our already immunocompromised pancreas patients that he operated on or visited was potentially exposed to the COVID-19 virus. It also meant that Dr. Patel and his team could contract the virus themselves from any patient or visitor who came in.

Upon hearing this, Norah MacKinnon and her mom, Mindy MacKinnon decided to take matters in their own hands. They made a plan to sew their own homemade masks for Dr. Patel and his entire staff at the gastroenterology unit of University Hospital if none could be bought. They made enough washable masks not only so that the entire team could have one, but so that they could replace to a new and clean one in between each procedure. The bright colors and patterns of the masks even made the long, tiring days in the operating room more fun. Instead of seeing staff in the same boring colors, the patients could smile and laugh at polka dots or stripes.

Norah and Mindy’s generosity didn’t stop only at protecting our doctors and patients, though. Nearly every day for an entire month, the mother and daughter pair worked tirelessly to sell their handmade masks to anyone who wanted one. At $10 a mask, the MacKinnons’ hard work paid off to make $5,700 – and then they proceeded to selflessly donate every single penny to benefit Rebecca’s Wish. Norah and Mindy are both Rebecca’s Wish Board Members.

We are so incredibly grateful for Mindy and Norah for their gesture of kindness that served our patients and medical teams. It’s the support from people like the MacKinnons, and all of you out there, who are the reason we can help as many children as we do.

 

Masks made by Mindy and her daughter Norah MacKinnon