January 30, 2025

Mask Maker

Fontanelle teen helps COVID-19 situation by sewing masks

By Caleb Nelson

Fontanelle teen Kyrin Young works hard at the sewing machine making homemade masks for her family and her towns first responder personnel. Young said she was inspired to start making masks because her cousin, Carter Ferguson, has been in and out of the hospital and masks are important parts of keeping everyone healthy. (Contributed Photo)

FONTANELLE — Though they are not a requirement for Iowans who are in public, residents are encouraged by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to wear face masks when they’re out and about.

These recommendations are relatively new and are in response to the fast community spread of COVID-19 in the United States.

Kyrin Young, a high school sophomore from Fontanelle, decided to put into practice sewing skills she had learned in school to help in the fight against this pandemic by making hand sewn masks.

“My cousin’s name is Carver [Ferguson],” Young said. “He’s been in the hospital lately and they have to be on quarantine because he can get sick really easily. I made one for his aunt, grandma and sister so they could see him and hopefully not get him sick.”

Young, the daughter of Roger and Jessi Young, stated that she saw JOANN Fabric and Craft Store in Des Moines was giving away free pre-cut fabric so that masks could be made.

Young received some fabric from JOANN through her aunt, Samantha Gettler, found a pattern to make the masks and went to work. She had sewn a little in class at school or for her aunt’s daycare, but that’s it.

“One of my mom’s friends got some fabric for my aunt Sam. I looked up a pattern to see if I could do it for some of my co-workers or family who needed them,” Young said. “I found a video on YouTube. First I had to cut the fabric out, then I lined them up, put the elastic where it needed to be, sewed it together and then I leave a slot, sew it inside out and then flip it so it’s right side out. I’ll leave that little hole so I can put a baggie in there and you’ll pull the baggie out every time you need to wash it.”

Marcia Hendricks, Vice President and CEO of Adair County Health System, explained that CDC requirements ask that healthcare professionals treating patients with COVID-19 not use hand sewn masks, though that doesn’t mean that hand sewn masks aren’t welcome.

Hendricks reported last week to the newspaper that hand sewn masks are being used by many employees in the hospital in Greenfield currently. They’re required of any staff member who is in a public place, so the hand sewn masks are coming in handy.

“It feels good to help,” Young said. “It makes it better that we can all contribute.”