Parents of Chinese McCallie students donate thousands of masks

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – On Friday, boxes and bags of thousands of face masks got dropped off at Parkridge Hospital near McCallie School.

“Everyone who enters, all of our healthcare workers, all of our staff physicians are all wearing a mask and so this donation is huge for us to be able to continue to make sure that we have the proper equipment to take care of patients and our colleagues,” Parkridge Chief Nursing Officer Deborah Deal said.

The masks are from parents of Chinese McCallie Students.

Aware of the U.S. struggles in getting certain COVID-19 protection, they decided to find some and send them to Chattanooga.

“We’re very grateful. So, we wanted to do something to help this whole community. So, this whole parents association decided to do this,” McCallie student Derek Fu said.

Fu and Jaden Long helped deliver the masks to the hospital.

They’re both from Shanghai.

Fu and Long are two of over 30 Chinese students who attend McCallie School.

During the coronavirus outbreak, the boys have remained at the boarding school.

“It’s a very hard time for us, because most the flight between China and the states are being cancelled and we cannot go back to home and it was McCallie which provided such a great place for us to stay here,” Fu said.

It’s not just the masks they’re giving.

The parents have sent another shipment of masks, protective eye gear, face shields and surgical gloves.

“For people, you know, halfway around the world to be sending items in great need here in Chattanooga, it really speaks to a great human spirit that we have,” McCallie School Headmaster Lee Burns said.

Headmaster Burns said in the upcoming days they’ll be distributing gear and expanding to other places that may need them.