Pass the Mask, an initiative by Alliant Biotech
Donation protected
We need to pass the mask:
Mariel Biancardi, an oral surgeon in Brazil, connected with Alliant Biotech due to Brazil's lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mariel has known Brian Kimble, Alliant Biotech’s VP of Business Development, since 2007. Brian and his family accepted Mariel into their home during her time as a foreign exchange student in Lowell, Michigan.14 years later, Brian still views Mariel as his own daughter.
In 2019, Brian and his wife attended her college graduation in Araraquara, Brazil, where she received her Doctorate in Oral Surgery in the dentistry. Just recently, he learned about the challenges she has faced as a surgeon in Brazil during this time.
Mariel told Brian that surgical centers, smaller hospitals, and public health centers had been shut down for nearly a year. As a result, no elective surgeries were taking place and critical cases were backed up. Mariel was most worried about patients who were in pain or a high risk, including cancer patients. These facilities are reopening, but they are now struggling to get the PPE they need, due to lack of funding.
During a recent call, Mariel conveyed how scared she was for her patients' health, her colleague’s health, as well as her own. At this time, many surgeons in Brazil have to choose between gloves or an N95 mask. Most of them chose gloves, meaning they have to reuse the same mask two or three weeks in a row before getting a new one.
As most of us know, that is not the case in the United States. We have a surplus of masks that can be used to help Brazil and many other countries facing the same hardships. We need to pass our masks to those in need, and we are asking you to be a part of this movement.
We’re all in this together:
Our initial goal is to not only spread awareness around Mariel’s story, but to also send her and her colleagues $35,000 worth of masks. After that initial amount is both raised and distributed, our next goal is to supply up to $2 million in masks to other locations around the world.
We can make this happen through your charitable donations. You can also help by spreading awareness around our project and the need to ‘pass the mask’.
Please note that all proceeds will be directly used to supply N95 masks at costs to those in need. To follow along for more updates and to see the impact you’re making, follow our Facebook and Instagram accounts @alliantbiotech.
Words from Mariel herself:
Mariel Biancardi, an oral surgeon in Brazil, connected with Alliant Biotech due to Brazil's lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mariel has known Brian Kimble, Alliant Biotech’s VP of Business Development, since 2007. Brian and his family accepted Mariel into their home during her time as a foreign exchange student in Lowell, Michigan.14 years later, Brian still views Mariel as his own daughter.
In 2019, Brian and his wife attended her college graduation in Araraquara, Brazil, where she received her Doctorate in Oral Surgery in the dentistry. Just recently, he learned about the challenges she has faced as a surgeon in Brazil during this time.
Mariel told Brian that surgical centers, smaller hospitals, and public health centers had been shut down for nearly a year. As a result, no elective surgeries were taking place and critical cases were backed up. Mariel was most worried about patients who were in pain or a high risk, including cancer patients. These facilities are reopening, but they are now struggling to get the PPE they need, due to lack of funding.
During a recent call, Mariel conveyed how scared she was for her patients' health, her colleague’s health, as well as her own. At this time, many surgeons in Brazil have to choose between gloves or an N95 mask. Most of them chose gloves, meaning they have to reuse the same mask two or three weeks in a row before getting a new one.
As most of us know, that is not the case in the United States. We have a surplus of masks that can be used to help Brazil and many other countries facing the same hardships. We need to pass our masks to those in need, and we are asking you to be a part of this movement.
We’re all in this together:
Our initial goal is to not only spread awareness around Mariel’s story, but to also send her and her colleagues $35,000 worth of masks. After that initial amount is both raised and distributed, our next goal is to supply up to $2 million in masks to other locations around the world.
We can make this happen through your charitable donations. You can also help by spreading awareness around our project and the need to ‘pass the mask’.
Please note that all proceeds will be directly used to supply N95 masks at costs to those in need. To follow along for more updates and to see the impact you’re making, follow our Facebook and Instagram accounts @alliantbiotech.
Words from Mariel herself:
Organizer and beneficiary
Noah Fetterhoff
Organizer
Grand Rapids, MI
Diana Lanning
Beneficiary