For the love of scrubs

The School of Education’s Pippa Totraku is sewing hearts for sick patients in Intensive Care – and now she’s making scrubs too.

Having seen the call for more personal protective equipment, Pippa (Principal Lecturer Lead for Planning and Admissions), who knits and sews for a hobby, sought out a way to help and found Facebook group, ‘For the love of scrubs’.

Pippa spotted a request for crafters to make hearts for coronavirus patients who are critically ill in Intensive Care Units. With access limited for close relatives, the idea is for one heart to stay with the patient and another to be sent to a relative, so that they can both share something physical.

Pippa said: “It’s a very small and personal contribution but the amazing work done by the group was something I had to be a part of.”

Over 40 hearts have now been sewn by Pippa, who has since found a local group of seamstresses who were organising a group of volunteers to make scrubs, masks, gowns, hats and bags to help local NHS staff and care workers.

She’s already got to work: “Learning to sew French seams, inserting pockets and finish scrubs to an NHS standard, is a really challenging but nothing compared to those who then wear them. ”

If you’re a keen crafter, find out how you can donate or join Pippa in helping to make personal protective equipment for people on the front line by visiting https://www.sandbnhw.org/scrubs– East Sussex Seamstresses.

A final plea from Pippa “If you live in the Brighton area and have an overlocker you would like to loan me I would be very grateful and could make more”