STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE
Community Members Donate During Time of Crisis
Yun Li, PhD., knew she needed to help in some way as the COVID-19 spread across her community and Philadelphia. As part of the Lower Merion Chinese American Community, she and her group collected 5,000 N95 masks and 2,400 surgical masks from connections in China, along with and many individual small personal protective equipment (PPEs) donations, which they donated to 14 hospitals and clinics in the Philadelphia area.
Einstein Healthcare Network received 800 N95 masks and 1200 surgical masks as part of this amazing fundraising effort thanks to a connection between Mari Siegel, MD, an Emergency Medicine physician at Jefferson Health and Betsy Datner, MD, Chair of Emergency Medicine for Einstein.
“We will not stop here, said Dr. Li, Associate Professor of Biostatistics, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. “We will have 2,000 more N95 masks and 100 protective gowns still coming.”
The community started a Go Fund Me page to raise funds. With the remaining $7,000, will buy 1,600 face shields and 6,000 level-3 surgical masks. “As money continues to come in, we will buy more protective gowns.”
Li explained that her community witnessed what happened in China in January and February. “Many of the health workers were infected initially, but there was very little infection among health care workers later as they were provided with better protections. We anticipated something like that may happen here.”
She added that a couple of weeks ago, members of the community read that 22 out of 44 infected in Philadelphia were health workers. That was when they decided to mobilize and started the donation drive. “We want to do our part to protect our health workers who are fighting in the front line and protecting us. We initially focused on donations from the Lower Merion Chinese community, which was quickly widened to the broader local Chinese communities. We have been receiving overwhelming positive responses. It is very touching to see that.”
The community is happy to be able to contribute to hospitals, but also realizes that small clinics also need protective equipment and are not getting attention like the hospitals are. “As more money comes in, we will be keep buying PPEs and donate to various places in need. It is very touching to see our communities rally together for our health care workers.”