A talented artist from Co Armagh is putting her skills to use during the Coronavirus pandemic by creating PPE face shields for NHS workers.
Zipporah Reynolds who worked on the hit HBO series Game of Thrones as a costume breakdown artist is now turning her time and attention to help solve Northern Ireland's PPE crisis.
Combining her skills of 3D printing and design Zipporah, who also worked on TV series Dublin Murders, is taking a pragmatic approach during our current health crisis. Having already raised over £600 for NHS charity Heros+ by making NHS heart pins, Zipporah realised she could also use her expertise to help ease the overwhelming concerns about PPE here in NI.
She explained: “I’m 3D printing PPE face shields to donate to the frontline heroes. My key focus is on care homes, hospices, the GPs and dentists where there is a huge shortage of PPE equipment putting vulnerable people at risk.
"I have just received my second printer, meaning I can increase my daily manufacturer from 20 up to 60 face shields a day. We need to get these out fast!”
Zipporah has already donated some of these valuable face shields to local key workers such as the paramedic department at Covid-19 centre in Craigavon, a care home and opticians in Armagh, and she continues to make more.
Having researched all aspects of PPE face shields, she has decided to follow a modified ‘3dverkstan’ pattern approved by UK health workers.
“In making these masks, strict PPE health and safety measures are taken on by myself. I wear a respirator, gloves, and face shield as I make them. I also work in a self-contained unit, which no one else has access to. All my surfaces are cleaned with alcohol, and each finished print is placed into a zip lock bag with date noted.”
Zipporah has set up a gofundme page and is calling for any donations large or small. All money received will be used to buy materials to make more shields, which will then be donated to our frontline key workers.
You can support Zipporah via her page here.
