Cape Coral widow honors husband by making masks from his clothing

One Cape Coral woman is making masks to honor her loved one – and help frontline workers at the same time.

“I can’t begin to tell you how heart-wrenching it is because I never felt like a simple mask would mean so much,” said BJ Brundage.

It’s more than material Brundage uses to makes masks: She creates the cloth coverings using her late husband Larry’s shirts.

“My husband died from bronchiectasis disease in June of last year and the shirts have been in his closet since he passed away,” said Brundage.

But after seeing shortages created by COVID-19, she felt like she needed to do something.

So she took out the last Christmas present he ever gave her – a sewing machine.

She said each of his shirts makes at least 10 masks she then donates to people in need of this personal protective equipment.

“I’ve delivered them to cancer patients and coworkers and friends that don’t have a mask, and I’m going to a nursing home this afternoon,” said Brundage.

She feels like every mask worn helps honor her husband.

“This would thrill him to know he died of lung problems and now he’s saving people that could have lung problems from COVID-19,” said Brundage.

Brundage also donated surgical masks her husband didn’t use before his death, and she plans to cut up two more of his shirts to make 15 to 20 masks.