Mike Tomlin’s wife Kiya sewing masks for hospital workers

Mike Tomlin’s wife Kiya is making excellent use of her time and abilities during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kiya Tomlin, whose husband has been the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2007, is a clothing designer and was working on her spring collection, but that was interrupted by the stay at home rules from the government. She saw something from Rachel Maddow about a hospital in Indiana that needed masks and was asking home sewers to help out. That got Tomlin to step into action. She and her team spent a week working on mask designs they could create.

'It's hard to sit here and watch, and people that you know are risking their lives underprepared to take care of people. It's good to be able to support those people, even though I can't do what they do.' – @KiyaTomlin on making masks for hospital workershttps://t.co/HVWRtvSSQy pic.twitter.com/b5kqsuCGjb

— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) April 3, 2020

Kiya says the masks they are making are CDC compliant and designed for hospital support staff so that the more protective masks can be saved for the nurses and doctors who need them the most.

“It’s hard to sit here and watch, and people that you know are risking their lives underprepared to take care of people and we are all worried about getting our hands dirty at the grocery store,” Tomlin told the Steelers’ website. “It’s good to be able to support those people, even though I can’t do what they do. What I do is in support for them. What I have heard they appreciate it and I am happy to do it.”

Kiya has been able to make about 50 masks a day working with her home sewing machine, which is not as efficient as an industrial one she has at her work. She says her company is churning out about 500 masks per week. They have been donating the masks but are also receiving great public interest in purchasing them, to the point that they might sell the masks.

They’re also taking fabric donations — you can contact info@kiyatomlin.us to learn how to donate. And here is the website for Kiya’s clothing line if you want to support it.

This is a wonderful example of people in the community stepping up to provide assistance. Cheers to Kiya and the Tomlins on their work to help those in Pittsburgh and elsewhere.