An incredible series of tie ins, coincidences and connections have lead for badly needed Personal Protective Equipment to be shipped from a Calgary-based supplier to both Prince Edward County Memorial and North Hastings Hospitals.

And a great story to tell by Gazette reader Cheryl Anderson.

Anderson emailed the Gazette with a “story of generosity and communication” and  demonstrates how we are all connected especially now, during the COVID-19 crisis.

Anderson explains local family physician Dr. Norma Charriere  serves as the  Medical Director and Chief of Rural Medicine for PECMH and NHS and has been searching for a source of additional personal protective equipment for the Picton and Bancroft front line workers to allow them to deal safely with the COVID-19 emergency.

“The shortage of equipment in Ontario is particularly acute in rural areas like ours,” writes Anderson.

While speaking to her stepdaughter, Rhonda, in Calgary Charriere mentioned she was looking for a source of extra N95 masks for the Picton Hospital.  Rhonda was able to contact a man named Carl, a former colleague in the personal protective equipment industry. 

Coincidentally Carl had a stock of sample N95 and P100 masks in his garage that had previously been offered to Calgary-area hospitals, but those facilities  were already well supplied.  Carl contacted Dr. Charriere and offered to ship the masks free of charge to Picton.  His company, Dynamic-Safety PIP, donated the masks and the shipping. 

How did Anderson come to discover this story? 

“My brother and sister-in-law Mary live in Marlton, New Jersey.  Mary sent me the photo of Dr. Charriere and the nurses from the PECMH Emergency Department thanking Carl for the masks.  As it turns out Mary’s brother, John is the Vice President of sales for Dynamic-Safety PIP in Calgary. John sent her the photo because he was so happy and proud that his company was able to help,” Anderson said. “Thanks to a series of coincidences, PECMH received two large boxes of N95 and P100 masks free of charge from Dynamic-Supply PIP in Calgary and I have been able to write the story.”

-Staff