200 scrubs and counting for pals
Two Louth friends have made a whopping 200 scrubs for hospitals and care facilities in Drogheda, mid Louth and Dundalk, using material donated by local businesses and from money raised by the public.
Pam Wall from Riverbank in Drogheda and Fiona Gogarty from Dundalk have been sewing up a storm in the past three weeks, and with a little help, have been able to keep frontline staff stocked during this pandemic crisis.
“We’ve been flat out for nearly a month, and we have to say a big thank you to everyone who has raised money and made donations so that we can keep on sewing the scrubs,” says Pam, who is originally from Dublin, but has lived in Drogheda with her husband and four children for 20 years.
“We are both sewing tutors in the Fashion Project in Drogheda, Dundalk, Swords and Skerries, and when we saw someone was doing this on facebook, we thought we could do that too.
“I have to also mention my sister Sandra McGaule and friends Oonagh Donnelly, Lillian Morton, Carol Fagan and Mary McFadden who have helped me with the sewing and cutting to get these last few orders out on time.”
A GoFundMe page was initially set up to buy material and before long, they had hit €1,000.
“I am part of Drogheda and District Athletic Club, and loads of members donated the €20 they won from the weekly Lotto, and Martin Russell from Tesco shaved his head and raised €200,” says Pam.
“Both Tully’s and the Crafty Fox in Drogheda donated fabric, and we were also able to buy 100% cotton sheets, as the scrubs must be made from at least 60% cotton.”
The results are hundreds of bright and friendly-looking garments, and have been delivered to places all over the county.
“Locally, they have been supplied to the Maternity Unit and the Intensive Care unit in the Lourdes, St Mary’s on the Dublin Rd, Boyneview nursing home, Sunhill in Termonfeckin, Moorehall Lodge, St Ita’s ward, St Brigid’s Ardee, St Urusla’s Bettystown and the Aras Mhuire nursing home for the MMMs,” explains Pam, whose 13 year old daughter Ciara also helped out. “We’ve still got orders to fill, and when they are done, we’ll see where we stand, but with no end in sight to this thing, we may be still rushed off our feet.