RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — There's a need for medical supplies as hospitals face an increase of coronavirus patients in Northern California and the Sacramento Region.
Because of that, people have been stepping up to help, including David Walter, a retired CHP officer, who decided to help hospital staff in the front lines of the pandemic.
Walter owns TrekboxX Expedition Systems in Rancho Cordova. He normally makes custom-made storage units for sporting vehicles, but lately, his workload has changed to making face shields.
Walter said he read a Nextdoor post from a woman in his neighborhood whose husband is ER doctor. She said everyone needs supplies in the hospitals right now.
Walter talked to a representative at Dignity Health who sent him a sample of a face shield, and he got to work.
He came up with a design that does not need to be thrown away. It's a prototype that's catching attention from other hospitals and design shops in Sacramento.
He created a GoFundMe to help him achieve the goal of making 10,000 face shields. He has ordered materials to make his goal but wants other shops to get involved to help.
So far, two shops in Sacramento and one in San Francisco are planning to use his design.
Walter shared this message, "There are hundreds of thousands of these machines in the country. There's no reason that I'm the only one making them."
As a former first responder, Walter said, "I'm one of the people, there are many, that when something happens, I step in and help. When it's over I think maybe that wasn't smart. It was dangerous. I was a helicopter pilot and then officer. I know what these people are going through so they last thing they need to worry about right now is having the basic equipment that they need. It makes sense. I have the capability to make, they have a need and it seems like a simple equation. No one is shooting at me anymore; I'm not losing a finger."
Follow the conversation on Facebook with Madison Wade.
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