Javad Shadzi lost a friend to coronavirus. Now he’s fighting back, and it’s helping a hospital all the way across the country.
The founder of 034Motorsport in Fremont, California, Shadzi knew he had to do something after his friend passed away despite being on a respirator. “This is a devastating pandemic, and the need for masks is real,” he said.
And, in a recent YouTube video, Shadzi recalls why he knew he had to take action. “I have a brand new, clean [mask], and many healthcare workers don’t have any,” he said.
His company has access to global supply chains, and Shadzi began leveraging that access and quickly found a company that could supply N95 masks. At $1.50 per mask, the immediate challenge was to obtain funding to purchase enough masks to make an impact. To solve that problem, his company contributed $25,000 and he started a GoFundMe page which has now received donations totaling over $24,000.
On the East Coast, Susan Mudd Vogel, director of the Charles Regional Medical Center Foundation, was tasked with securing alternative supplies of masks and protective equipment for the hospital. She discussed her search with Tarun Khundi, a former classmate of hers at St. Mary’s Ryken High School in St. Mary’s County.
“Tarun asked if our hospital needed masks and offered to introduce me to Shadzi,” she said.
On March 29, Shadzi reached out to Vogel. And just 11 days later, 1,000 N95 masks were delivered from California to the Foundation’s offices here in La Plata.
“It’s a tremendous shot in the arm for us. Instantly, it more than doubled our available supply of N95 masks,” she said. “With this donation and everything we’ve collected through our Thankful Thursday efforts, we’ve been able to successfully implement a full masking policy for all of our staff — protecting both staff and patients at the hospital.”
Back in California, Shadzi continues to raise funds and distribute masks.
“We could send out a million masks, and it wouldn’t be enough,” he said. “[But] we can try to do something about this crisis together.”
To learn more about Shadzi’s fundraising effort and how you can contribute, visit his GoFundMe page. If you’re looking for ways to support the CRMC Foundation directly, please visit our website or call (301) 609-4132.
Update (4/27): Hear more about the CRMC Foundation’s work and Shadzi’s efforts to help in this segment from NBC4 Washington.