Teresa McKinney is using her sewing talents to make medical masks for healthcare workers.
To help
“I am making them for my family and friends too, in between the ones for Hearth Hospice, but I am not selling them,” McKinney said. “If anyone wants to pay for them, I have been asking them to buy additional fabric or elastic or twill tape (both of which are getting hard to find) for more masks or to donate dollars which I will use to buy more supplies.” To donate, contact teresa-mckinney@utc.edu.
Teresa McKinney has been sewing most of her life.
“My grandmother and aunt taught me to sew doll clothes by hand when I was very young and then, as I got older, I started sewing on a machine, making clothes and other crafts for myself and family and friends,” said McKinney, assistant to University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chancellor Steve Angle.
Now she is using that skill to help others in Southeast Tennessee.
Since the end of March, McKinney—who graduated from UTC in 1985 with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance—has been sewing medical masks for healthcare workers at Hearth Hospice of Tennessee.
Her cousin, Chara McLaughen, is a physician assistant and clinical liaison for the hospice’s office in Cleveland, Tenn., asked McKinney if she would make some, too.
McLaughen said there are moments when it’s frightening to work with terminally ill patients while the virus and all its danger is on your mind.
“It’s been one of the most difficult times, working in and out of the hospitals,
Chara McLaughen, left, and Registered Nurse Samara Lanning wear masks sewn by Teresa McKinney in their work at Hearth Hospice.
worrying about being able to see our patients in nursing facilities and assisted-living facilities, as well as patients in homes, when patients aren’t sure they want us to come into their homes,” said McLaughen, a 2001 UTC graduate with a degree in biology.
Since the hospice’s patients are in poor health already, staff need the masks to protect both the patients and themselves, McKinney said.
“They serve a fragile community and need to do all they can to protect their patients as well as their staff in order to be able to get to the patients in need of care,” she said.
McLaughen said that healthcare works can’t focus on fear if they’re going to provide the best care they can to patients.
“Although it has been scary at times to think we might bring the virus back into our own homes, it still isn’t something we can stress about,” she said. “We have to remember all we learned about taking care of people in any situation like this and do our best job to stay safe and do our best job to care for these high-risk patients.
“What I do know is we serve a much greater God than this virus, and we have to daily bring our fear and worry to Him.”
McKinney said there is no set number for how many masks needed to be sewn.
“As many as I can make, they can use,” she said. “Their staff will be able to use these as they serve on the frontlines during this pandemic healthcare crisis and also into the future as they prepare for the rise in COVID-19 cases.
“They serve a fragile community and need to do all they can to protect their patients as well as their staff in order to be able to get to the patients in need of care.”
Teresa, what you are doing is awesome and I bet much appreciated! You represent UTC well. Keep up the great work and Go MOCS!
Teresa, thank you for using your talents to provide this wonderful service to so many! It is greatly appreciated!