Two Cancer Survivors Create Safer PPE After Daughter’s Death | World / Country

Incorporating the opinions of doctors and nurses who oversee Saoirse’s treatment, Kezia quickly completed the hospital’s hottest garment. This garment effectively reduced the risk of line injuries and infections while giving the patient freedom and comfort.

“It made such a difference in our lives as parents,” Kezia said. “It was part of our therapeutic journey.”

Saoirse lost the fight against cancer a few months later, but on a good day he was at least able to play normally.

Kezia, a two-time cancer survivor, sympathized with the pain of treatment because of her experience as a patient and caregiver. With the success of the clothes she made for her daughter, Kesia began to think about how she could expand her desire to help with other products.

What started as a labor of love for her daughter CareAlineA company specializing in the manufacture of medical clothing that prioritizes the comfort and safety of patients and clinicians.

For more than 10 years since its founding, Kesia’s medical garments have been used in hospitals nationwide in partnership with Wisconsin Children’s Hospital and CS Mott Children’s Hospital of the University of Michigan School of Medicine.

CareAline’s latest garments are multiple quarantine products. When Hodgkin lymphoma in Kesia recurred, she underwent a stem cell transplant and was forced to quarantine for 100 days to protect her weakened immune system. Only three days after its isolation, the Covid-19 pandemic began and she began another blockade.

“I was preparing to get out of quarantine and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, so everyone else had to shut down,” she said.

Despite the fight against cancer and the emotional exhaustion of the pandemic, Kesia immediately asked how she could use her company to help keep frontline workers safe. It was.

The Care Aline manufacturer in Massachusetts was considered an integral part of the business and was allowed to continue operating. Kezia wanted to take the opportunity to help, and met with PPE experts for months to talk to clinicians about what changes they needed to make in their medical clothing.

“They have saved my life many times. They are the people we are connected to and grateful for because they helped treat our daughter. We really are them. I wanted to help, “she said.

From her meeting, Kesia noticed that there was a huge move to help provide the mask, but the quarantine gown was quickly exhausted. She could have used her company to create a standard disposable gown, but decided to create a solution to the problem mentioned by the clinician.

CareAline gowns aimed to address small issues that could make a big difference in safety. Kezia added thumb-hole cuffs to keep her wrists covered, raised the neck of the gown, and velcro on her back for easy removal. safely.

“The changes seem straightforward, but unless you’re discussing them with the clinicians who handle them on a daily basis, you may not realize that these simple changes can have a significant impact on their safety. not.”

Kezia said they see these changes as a way to provide medical, personal and environmental benefits.

Tests on CareAline’s isolation gowns showed that they could be washed 100 times, giving them 100 times longer life than standard disposable gowns.so Survey Reusable gowns made by the National Institutes of Health have been shown to enhance hospital protection and provide significant cost savings.

“In the medical industry, because it is a one-time use for sterilization, it produces a lot of waste. If there is a way to reuse something, why not?”

Despite the tiredness of receiving multiple cancer treatments, Kesia says she is empowered by testimony from patients that helped her feel that their lives were a little more normal and a little safer. I will.

“For me, I’ve been in and out of cancer treatment for 10 years, and I need to make my treatment a part of my life, and I don’t have to design my life around my treatment. I learned. Going to school, going to work, and hugging my grandchildren make me feel like I’m moving the needle. “