Family’s response to Australia’s disastrous start to year

Meet the Brisbane family taking things into their own hands when it comes to Australia’s two unfathomable disasters this year.

MEET the Brisbane family taking action to help those on the front-line of the two disasters that have devastated Australia this year.

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The Olufson family from the Redlands firstly kicked into gear as news broke that carers for thousands of young animals orphaned by Australia’s catastrophic bushfires were running out of pouches for the injured babies.

Mother Michelle, a costume specialist and teacher at Sheldon College, rallied students to create more than 100 pouches for the cause.

And now, as Australia’s health workers face the biggest challenge of their careers, Michelle’s sons William, 16, and Max, 16, are working to help them too.

Redlands brothers William and Max Olufson have been making ear guards for health workers on the COVID-19 front-line who are forced to wear facemasks constantly.

The brothers have been using a 3D printer to create ear guards which attach to surgical face masks to stop them rubbing on workers’ ears and face.

The extended use of the masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has meant some medical staff had experienced cuts to their ears and faces.

The contraption, which is adjustable, hooks to the mask at the back of the head to save the need for them hanging from a person’s ears.

The boys said it was family and friends who work in the health profession that inspired them to take on the project.

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The pair learnt how to use a 3D printer at school and said they were happy to put the skill to good use.

“A set of five takes about two and a half hours to print, we have printed about 50 so far,” they said.

“We sent some to Townsville — to the venereology department in pathology, and the pharmacy department both at the Townsville General Hospital.

“We have also delivered some to a nurse that works at RBWH (Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital) to distribute within the hospital.

“As we hear of people that work in hospitals we see if they need any and we make some up and get them to them either by post or dropping it off into their mailbox.

“It feels good to be able to help in some way even know it is in such a small gesture.”

When they are not working to help others, the family has tried to enjoy their COVID-19 down time.

“We are enjoying spending time at home with our family, it has been nice to have had free time on technology devices and we have been playing card games as a family just about daily. “We are a little bit disappointed about school is not going back after the break though,” the boys said.

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