SAN ANTONIO — A high school student goes the extra mile to help a friend in need. That friend has a compromised immune system and is self-isolating, away from family and her doctor's team.
"I am extremely grateful for all of the thoughts and prayers that have gone out to the Rebecca's Wish pancreas patients and myself during this time of the virus," said Rebecca Taylor.
She had to have her pancreas removed when she was 12. Since her immune system is compromised she and her family are isolating themselves in a family cabin north of College Station. Taylor said, "My family and I have been unable to leave our house since March when the virus started in the United States."
"In mid-March Rebecca and I were texting and she was talking about how they were trying to find masks for Dr. Patel and his medical team," said Norah MacKinnon. She's known Rebecca for years, and told her mother Mindy about a great idea. MacKinnon said, "I went downstairs I told my parents, and I was like I'm making masks and no one is going to stop me."
She gave them to Dr. Sandeep Patel and his team. That's Rebecca's doctor. Dr. Patel added, "It floored me honestly to know that here we had a high schooler who was not ill, who has not been in the hospital, and really had no incentive or connection to do this."
But Norah didn't stop there. She made more masks, sold them, and raised over $5,000 for Rebecca's Wish, a non-profit Taylor created to raise awareness and provide resources to children with pancreatic diseases.
MacKinnon told us, "By the end of us counting all the money we were like oh my goodness we raised so much money and this money is going to help so many children."
Dr. Patel added, "You know heroes come in various forms sizes and shapes and ages, and it was really a moment of heroism for her to do this."
Taylor said, "It's amazing to see how Mindy and Norah MacKinnon not only took the time to protect our medical team, but they also raised money so we could be able to continue to help as many children as we are able to."
Norah's mother Mindy is a nurse and she stresses the need to keep wearing masks. She told us, "I got a little frustrated when I see people not wearing masks knowing that the cases especially here in San Antonio are going up. We still have tons of masks that we are still making people are using them as kind of a fashion accessory now that it’s kind of a state mandate. It’s an easy thing to do so if people do this one small thing people will definitely help slow the spread of the virus."