By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
Keeping our nurses and doctors safe and fashionable for Easter and spring: St. Mark School third grader Valentina Torres displays the protective masks she has made for healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
They come in navy, teal, and even Snoopy and stars: Protective masks made by St. Mark School third grader Valentina Torres and her mom Ana Carolina Abreo are laid out and organized in their homes before being distributed to healthcare providers working in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SOUTHWEST RANCHES | Very few third graders can sew these days. St. Mark School’s Valentina Torres said she learned with her mom, Ana Carolina Abreo.
“Honestly, I’m not that great. I’m pretty basic,” said Abreo, who describes their machine as a simple model available at Walmart.
The two began to sew because Valentina is a Girl Scout at St. Mark. There was no better way for Abreo to attach the patches and badges her daughter earned. Valentina’s interest blossomed when she discovered she could make accessories for her dolls. “I sewed little hats, and bags, and some little belts,” said Valentina.
Over spring break in late March, when the two couldn’t find face masks to protect themselves from COVID-19, they ventured into making their own. They followed online tutorials using fabric, elastic, and their sewing machine.
Satisfied with the look, they decided to use their skills to make more masks and donate them to doctors and nurses at Memorial Hospital West in Pembroke Pines, and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where two friends of the family work as nurses.
Abreo went to JoAnn Fabrics and bought yards of cloth in plain teal and navy colors, as well as with various floral designs, colorful stars, and, in the Easter spirit, zigzagged pastel lines resembling those on an Easter egg. Some fabric even depicted an Easter egg hunt from a Peanuts comic strip. She also bought elastic for the ear straps and fusible interfacing.
“Many people must be making their own masks,” said Abreo. At the time, “we had not found any more elastic, so we were working with what we bought.”
When St. Mark School teachers heard about Abreo and Valentina’s work, several donated elastics of their own and joined in the effort to make masks.
At home, Valentina and her mom pre-cut the cloth pieces, join all the necessary parts, fold and crease, and sew. It takes Valentina about 20 to 30 minutes, and her mom up to 10. Once they finish the masks, Abreo washes and dries them and places them into a Ziploc bag for delivery to her nurse friends.
Valentina and her mom made 40 masks over spring break, a total that had risen to 150 by April 16. Their friends distribute them at the hospitals during their shifts.
“They keep telling me that they need more,” Abreo said.
Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO
Valentina Torres learned how to sew with a sewing machine to earn a Girl Scout patch. Now, the St. Mark School third grader is making and donating masks for healthcare providers in hospitals and medical centers.
The masks do not meet the criteria for use in high-risk areas of the hospital, such as the ICU, but they can be used elsewhere. They also are washable and reusable, providing an eco-friendly counterbalance to the dozens of masks that are being discarded daily.
Abreo said they are now making masks also for friends outside the medical field who have requested them for public use. Valentina’s third grade Girl Scout troopmates also want to learn how to sew so they can help.
Mask-making comes after studying, however. Valentina and her little brother, Andres, are continuing classes at St. Mark virtually. Their father, Andy, is also working from home, and they are all trying to stay home as much as possible.
“We are grateful to God because at this moment we are okay. We have a home. We have a fridge that is full. Our kids are healthy. And we are sharing together as a family,” said Abreo.
Valentina, who said she “likes school in school,” added this bit of advice for her children everywhere: “Stay home and wash your hands. And stay safe.”
FYI
JoAnn Fabrics is campaigning to collect 100 million masks made by volunteers across the country. They currently have over 62 million. Their website provides a guide for making, prepping, and wearing masks according to Centers for Disease Control guidelines. Visit https://www.joann.com/make-to-give-response/.
