Hospitals from Italy to China to America are having huge problems with their equipment, or rather, their lack of proper equipment, from having enough masks and gowns to having enough ventilators for the surge in coronavirus patients. It shouldn’t be like this in any country, and it’s especially dire to see Western countries so ill-prepared for this kind of pandemic. Private citizens have been stepping up to fill in whatever void they can, through donations or work or time or whatever. James McAvoy has announced a donation to UK hospitals for equipment:
James McAvoy has donated £275,000 ($340,000) to help purchase equipment for health service staff treating coronavirus patients. The money was given to the crowdfunding campaign Masks for Heroes, set up by a group of U.K. doctors to raise money to buy personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks, visors and gloves for NHS staff, helping push the total so far to £700,000 ($868,000), according to McAvoy, and more than three times the initial target of £200,000 ($247,000).
“We’ve all heard stories about doctors and nurses having to buy their own personal protective equipment from the internet or DIY stores, and the products aren’t good enough and frankly neither is that situation,” he said in an Instagram video. “Not only does it put the doctors and nurses at risk of contracting COVID-19 themselves, but it puts them at a higher risk of passing it on to their patients, or their patients family and giving them COVID-19. This situation is truly urgent, and time is of the essence.”
McAvoy also took time to praise the health workers at the NHS who he said were “fighting a war” against COVID-19. “Thank you so much to the NHS for everything you’ve done for me in my life,” he said. “You’ve been there since the day I was born. You’ve saved my life in the past and, who knows, you may save my life again in the future. And I’m so glad we’re trying to raise some money to help save your lives going forward.”
I’m including the Instagram video below, because I love listening to his Scottish accent. It’s an extremely worthy cause. I still feel like… Jesus, it shouldn’t be up to private citizens to make donations so that doctors can get masks. How were all of our governments so unprepared?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Love him. Love his accent. Love his acting. And love that mercury glass/ antique ish mirror in the background. It is horrible how unprepared we are for this. My nurse friend couldn’t wear nail polish for years at work and now she’s reusing a mask during a pandemic while China has non FDA approved masks in abundance. This whole thing is pathetic.
Good on him! Wish more, who get so much FROM the public (via HUGE salaries) would give back more (yes, I realize some do w/out fanfare, but if there ever was a time to start piping up, to get more to join in giving, NOW is the time!).
Here in the US, states are competing against each other, bidding for equipment only to find the feds have bought it up, and will only get supplies if they “are nice” to Tangerine Twitler. NO SHIT. He actually SAID this! TT sent 170 ventilators to CA…but they’re broken! CA has to waste time trying to fix them to use it. TT promised to send N95 masks to Illinois…but sent the wrong kind (non-PPE).
This is insane!!! Thanks to all, famous or not, who are stepping up to help! You are all angels on earth!
It shouldn’t be like this. The thing is Masks for Heroes have a source so it’s not about not getting hold of masks in this country, the govt just haven’t ordered enough in time. They also bypassed medical equipment companies to make respirators and went to companies like Dyson who had to start from scratch instead. They will be responsible for so many deaths, because they wanted to line the pockets of their donors! So angry.
Yeah I have no idea why the UK govt asked Dyson to make ventilators instead of asking a ventilator making company. It’s just one bad decision after another.
It was because they were being stubborn about the EU, several EU companies offered to make them immediately (that ALREADY made ventilators) and they said no, F you Europe, we’ll get Dyson to do it – the same Dyson that relocated their business to Singapore when it became obvious that Brexit was a total disaster and refused to contribute to the UK an further. So yea. When you thought the UK couldn’t get any stupider with Brexit, it held its own beer. Again.
Thanks, James!
Also, retired Patriots player Rob Gronkowski just donated 10,000 KN95 masks each to St Joseph’s Medical Center in NJ and Boston Medical Center. BMC treats the largest percentage of the poorest residents of Massachusetts.
Just heard on the news the FBI busted some guy in Brooklyn for hoarding 80,000 medical masks .My gosh,how disgusting and someone does this to make money, knowing full well how many people are sick and dying,criminal!
Boggles the mind, truly.
Just go on Amazon… you’ll find some supplies that seem reasonably priced… then go to checkout to find “delivery fees” are a couple of hundreds of dollars! I found 10 rolls of toilet paper for $4.95..seems alright… then deliver was $175!!!!!! I am NOT kidding you! (Yes, I reported the vendor).
These people need to be jailed!
Well done James and he is putting some yummy recipes on Instagram too.
I love him so much!
I adore him. He didnt just donate masks but also other protective gear+he’s among the volunteers who’ll be (distributing food, driving supplies..etc for the NHS) The dude is just amazing.
I agree with you Kaiser, I too cant believe how ill prepared developed/western countries are even with warning from WHO & china(although late).