Team effort by several valley heroes work to create hundreds of PPE gowns for health care workers

TEMPE, Ariz. - Thousands of yards of fabric is getting prepped, smoothed out and ready to be made into specialized gowns for medical professionals on the front lines in Arizona fighting the coronavirus.

“This is to the health care workers now, this is the body armor to the soldier," said Dr. Ronald Gagliano, a Dignity Health surgeon.

He came up with the unique design only 4 weeks ago. The gowns are made with highly durable fabric and can withstand more than 100 washes.

They will be making 20,000 gowns.

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“The disposable gowns, if you can even find them, it is more cost effective than than the disposable gowns, it is more protective,” Gagliano said.

The fabric needed to make this personal protective equipment (PPE) was located across the country. And with the amount needed, 7,000 pounds, the Arizona National Guard was enlisted.

“To go out and back, they did that mission in 10 hours and 28 minutes," said Michael McGuire, adjutant general with the Arizona National Guard. "[They] took off here, flew to North Carolina, loaded 50,000 yards of fabric.”

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After landing at Sky Harbor Airport, the National Guard dropped it off at F.A.B.R.I.C. in Tempe, a fashion incubator, now turned PPE designers answering the call to help those on the front lines.

"We are gearing up with more machines, we have had 14 sewing machines already," said Sherri Barry, cofounder of F.A.B.R.I.C.

They can make 500 gowns in an 8 hour period. Some will be ready in hospitals by the end of the week.