File photoWichita State softball pitcher Caitlin Bingham learned to sew as a child. Softball, however, demanded most of her free time.
The COVID-19 pandemic put her back together with fabric and thread. Caitlin, from Tecumseh, Oklahoma, is sewing masks for medical personnel, inspired by a California pediatrician鈥檚 pleas for help on Facebook.
鈥淪he basically posted on Facebook crying out for help, because she had been wearing the same mask for weeks at a time,鈥� Bingham said. 鈥淲e went to our fabric store, got some supplies and got to work. Between me and my mom (Lauren Bingham), we鈥檝e probably made close to 60 masks.鈥�
Caitlin, a junior biomedical engineering major, leaned on her grandmother, who is also making masks, for sewing tips.
鈥淪he taught me the tricks of the trade,鈥� Bingham said.
Caitlin uses four layers of cotton fabric and the pattern includes a slot for filters. They sent 15 to the doctor in California 鈥� a friend of her mother 鈥� and delivered others to the hospital in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
鈥淲e鈥檙e pumping them out,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of therapeutic to be doing something and helping someone. We have some people very close to our family that are at the front line of it, working in the hospitals, working in the clinics. They鈥檙e struggling.鈥�
Can鈥檛 play softball...becomes a seamstress 馃樂
鈥� Caitlin Bingham (@bingham_caitlin)
Like other Wichita State athletic teams, softball coaches keep in contact with video meetings and group texts. Caitlin鈥檚 days are filled with sewing, remote learning and trying to find ways to work out at home.
鈥淲e communicate close to every day, because we are all so close,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 really hard, especially when go from working 24-7 to, 鈥極k, just stop.鈥� It鈥檚 hard to sit and wait.鈥�
The waiting continues. Caitlin is making the most of that time by helping those in need.
