RINCON, Ga. (WSAV) — While many healthcare facilities are short on masks, a group of Effingham County students started a business to donate personal protective equipment or PPE to those in need.
Looking for a way to give back to his community during the coronavirus pandemic, Effingham County High School graduate Mathiew Tackitt got the idea to form his company, Medical PP3D, with a few friends.
They sew face masks and 3D print mask straps and no-touch tools to donate.
“The school sent out a request to anyone with a 3D printer,” he explained. “And they were like, ‘hey, you should print these little mask straps that I’m wearing and donate them to the hospitals and doctor’s offices.’ And I was like that sounds like a good idea. I have a 3D printer, I’ll go ahead and print some.”
What started out as a small business to give back to local first responders quickly became popular nationwide. Now, Tackitt is taking requests and shipping his products as far as California and Nevada.
“I thought if I got a group of us together, we could print more of these and help more doctor’s offices, hospitals and maybe even branch out to the public,” Tackitt said.
It takes him two and a half hours to print nine mask straps and four hours to make 10 no-touch tools and 10 masks. He said last month, he received around 25 requests for his gear.
“The next day, when I donated those nine straps that I printed, I donated them to St. Joseph’s/ Candler doctor’s office by the McDonalds, and I left them a little contact card,” Tackitt said. “I was like ‘if you ever need any more just go ahead and call me, anytime, anywhere.’”
He will attend Georgia Tech in the fall and hopes to continue the business and helping local medical staff get the supplies they need.
“Even if you’re going out of your way just to help out your neighbor, that’s just huge in the world,” Tackitt said.
You can request safety gear or donate to their cause on their website.