Kenora Catholic teacher Megan Baker, is using her expertise in 3D printing to give back to her community and help fight the spread of COVID-19. The Grade teacher at École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys has started making both shields and ear-savers for medical personnel.
“Rachel Sitar, a paramedic, reached out to me asking if I thought I might be able to start making shields. I reached out to Dr. Sean Moore in regards to the design and he informed me of a few technical things that would need to looked at. I continued to do some research and came across MakerBot’s design which suited the needs of Moore’s feedback. Once I had permission to use the machine and filament from SMB, I started printing them,” said Baker.
Baker has printed 100 ear-savers and 35 shields so far. The ear-savers were actually a side project while she looked at how to find clear plastic for the shield. All the equipment has been donated to various organizations in the community.
“Ten ear-savers have gone to Pinecrest, 60 to the hospital, 20 to the ambulance base and have 20 to the Fellowship Centre and COVID Treatment Setup. The shields have been split between the hospital and the ambulance base. I can make approximately 8-10 within my awake time. It takes 3.5 hours to print two shields and 3.5 hours to print eight ear savers,” she said.
As cases continue to rise in North America, Canada has been asking for donations of Personal Protective Equipment across the country. Baker says this is her way of giving back to a system that’s always been there for her family.
“To me personally, the medical system has been there to support us through many traumatic experiences. Many doctors and nurses have reached out to offer support and guidance even while off duty when things would arise,” said Baker. “I have always been searching for a way to give back to those especially who saved Todd’s life. I was never sure how I could ever ‘repay’ them for their courageous, fast thinking response and then this opportunity arose. The shields are symbolic in how they protected my family and now I can offer a way to protect them and their family.”
Baker added that she’s glad Kenora Catholic shares a similar view of giving back to the community in allowing her to use both the 3D printer as well as the supplies to make the shields and ear-savers.
“The community is lacking resources in the fight against COVID, this will give them means to protect themselves and keep our frontline workers safe. Our Board has a big heart and is committed to helping our community,” she concluded.
