A Community United

Without a doubt, the coronavirus pandemic has drastically impacted the lives of all Americans in ways we never dreamed possible. It has shaken our economy to its core, and it has put our healthcare system to the ultimate test. Yet, it has also showed the resolve that all Americans have, that united we are stronger, and in times of crisis we come together for the common good. After seeing the countless news stories about personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, I took to my office 3D printer and began fabricating face shields for our local hospitals. I initially planned to do only 50 but was asked if I could double that due to the extreme shortages. Only having the capacity to create 1 shield every 2 hours with my 3D printer, I knew I needed reinforcements. I recruited the help of a local information technology company with 3D printer access, as well as the local junior college and high school to help with face shield assembly. Word spread about us fabricating face shields and within hours, we had requests for over 750 face shields from local urgent care centers, primary care offices, first responders, and many others. Shell shock and disbelief were my initial feelings, followed by a new determination to ensure our healthcare infrastructure had the support they needed. Our community is driven and resilient, and there were countless individuals who reached out asking how they could help. Through an electronic collection application, we raised over $6,500 within 72 hours to fabricate the shields and provide PPE gear. We went through several prototypes over the course of a few days to scale production of the face shields and ended up developing a shield framework made out of Lexan (an indestructible type of Plexiglass). A local printing company was recruited to overnight clear 10-millimeter laminate sheets for fabrication. Over 25 volunteers in the community assisted in different aspects of production for these face shields, rallying together to protect our front lines. In total, we fabricated over 650 face shields within 4 days impacting over 105 different entities - various hospital departments, physician offices, urgent care centers, and law enforcement. COVID-19 has taught us all that fighting an invisible enemy can be a daunting and difficult task. However, it has also taught us the value of love, life, friendships, and that together, UNITED, we will prevail. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Kyle King received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry in 2015. He was an extremely active student leader; elected to class president all four years of dental school and served as a UT Health San Antonio Student Ambassador during his senior year. Dr. King is currently in private practice in Lufkin, Texas.