Mass. Auto Interior Designers Create and Donate Hundreds of Face Shields to Medical Workers

The generous folks at JK Automotive Designs have made their shield design available to everyone so that anyone who wants can make their own

Photo: Jeremy Katz and Evan Collins

Jeremy Katz and Evan Collins knew they wanted to help protect medical professionals working on the frontlines of the coronavirus — so when the face shields they created from a 3D printer at their automotive design shop took too long to make, they took matters into their own hands.

Together, they managed to create an all-new, much more efficient design, and have so far manufactured about 650 laser-cut shields, all of which will be donated to those working directly with coronavirus patients.

Katz, a co-owner of JK Automotive Designs in Stoneham, Massachusetts, tells PEOPLE the brain blast began last Monday after he and Collins, his employee, realized it took about five hours to print two shields based on a design they’d found online.

The men thought they could do better — and so they did, with Collins developing a new design in just five minutes that could build about 45 shields every 10 minutes, and about 19 straps every 20 minutes.

Katz then shared the design online for others to build, and it’s since taken off, with people as far as the United Kingdom using it to make shields of their own.

“I’ve been overwhelmed,” says Katz. “We shared it, then we started a GoFundMe page, and we’re trying to raise money for the page so everybody can continue to buy materials.”

So far, they’ve raised more than $13,000, enough to buy supplies to manufacture more than 12,000 shields.

“We’ve donated over 300 so far, but we keep getting more and more inquiries. If we could have 100,000 shields, they’d come pick it up tomorrow,” says Katz.

Katz and Collins have donated all across Boston, and they’ve also fulfilled personal requests from nurses across the country and in Puerto Rico.

“Grown men are crying,” Katz says of the emotional reaction he’s received from the donations. “It’s amazing. Everybody’s coming together, it’s unbelievable.”

Meanwhile, they’re also making intubation boxes for doctors, which allow them to operate on patients without the fear of being contaminated by respiratory droplets containing the virus.

To do that, they’ve been using a laser cover and a CNC production machine, which they typically use to build high-end automotive interiors from scratch.

“We took our capabilities and skillsets and kind realized that it’s taking too long to make these shields, and designed a new one so we can make them faster and get them to the hands of frontline workers,” Katz says.

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He adds that he’s currently in contact with doctors at 18 different hospitals to make shields and intubation boxes for all of their doctors.

“When delivering masks to these personnel you can see the look in their eyes, that they are receiving something that is truly important and helpful to them,” the GoFundMe page says. “We want to continue to do everything we can to support our front-line personnel and keep them healthy in this challenging time.”

Meanwhile, GoFundMe.org, the company’s non-profit and advocacy arm, has launched a fundraiser that offers support for organizations and individuals affected by coronavirus, the platform said in a statement provided to PEOPLE.

“By donating to the GoFundMe.org general relief fund, the donation supports many individuals who have started fundraisers on GoFundMe related to this pandemic, and organizations dedicated to serving the people,” the company said. “Donations to the general relief fundraiser of GoFundMe.org, a United States charity, are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law, and will broadly support communities impacted by coronavirus.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, there have been at least 173,741 cases and 3,433 deaths attributed to coronavirus in the United States, according to The New York Times.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.