Community coming together to make face masks for OCH

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Like many medical facilities, OCH Regional Medical Center has been facing a shortage of protective equipment in recent weeks due to the coronavirus.

In an effort to help those healthcare workers, some community members are helping out by sewing face masks.

In a time when Americans are being told to stay home to avoid any potential spread of the coronavirus, social media has been crucial to spreading the word.

“It started with the Girl Scouts troop 20230 first got really excited and reached out to OCH, and we found others who have reached out, so we combine forces and we started posting on Facebook and immediately people started getting excited,” said Emily Marett.

Marett, who helped create The Facebook page “Starkville SEW strong”, said the page became an immediate hit.

But getting the number of masks needed by OCH, is going to take a team effort.

“We know that OCH needs 500 masks as soon as possible, so that’s our first priority. And once OCH is served, we are going to hopefully get masks to other healthcare providers that are in desperate need as well,” she said.

Holly Fron, who also helped Marett stitch together this issue, said healthcare workers are on the frontline in the fight against the virus.

“I have quite a few friends actually who are nurses at OCH, who are nurses all over the state, all over the world even,” said Fron. “And just knowing that this is such a global worldwide crisis, I cannot go to China and help those over there but here in my locality I can I can do good and that’s my main goal.”

Fron said anyone who is interested in sewing masks for OCH must follow one rule.

“They do not want people going to OCH with their donations. They do not want people going up to the hospital who do not need to be there.”

If you would like to help, click here for more information.