Hello,
I don’t typically include a message with our weekly newsletter, but this week I am compelled to do so. We are entering uncharted territory that has literally turned our lives upside down, and tested even the strongest amongst us. What I have witnessed this week has restored my faith in humanity. As people were scrambling for supplies and walking into empty stores, I was invited to join a Facebook group called “I need….”. People started posting what they needed, and immediately others offered to help. The needs ranged from "I need a tutor for my son - he can FaceTime, but needs help with math”, "my father is very sick, and we are required to supply gloves for his home health team - we can’t find them”, “I’m elderly and need someone to walk my dog - I’m afraid to go outside”. Without exception every request has received a reply, and an offer to help. No scams, no how much are you willing to pay, just humans being human offering to help - to total strangers! I found myself visiting the page throughout the day in an effort to lift my spirits, and with every visit feeling more hopeful.
As I turned my focus to work I saw engineers solving problems, and reaching outside of their silos and labs to collaborate. One example emerged in less than 24 hours from mechanical engineering. Dr. Chris Saldana (ME) and Dr. Bhamla (CHBE), along with their students learned that masks were in short supply and the safety of our clinicians were at risk. The team jumped into action and 3-D printed a face shield to keep our clinicians safe. (See lead story below) This was designed, printed, and prototyped in less than 24 hours! It is amazing what we can do when the barriers are removed, and we are totally focused on solving the problem. A huge thank you to all who worked non-stop to deliver a prototype in a very short period of time.
In the midst of the chaos remember to look for the helpers, be a helper if you can, and thank a helper when you find one.
I recognize we have a long road ahead of us, but together we can do this. We are GT - One GT and #TogetherWeSwarm #SwarmStrenGTh
Sherry Farrugia, Chief Operating and Strategy Officer, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center at Georgia Tech sherry@gatech.edu or 404.626.9634
Please reach out to our Chief Engineer, Leanne West, if you have any ideas or questions about projects during this time. She can be reached at lwest@gatech.edu or 404.431.9894
