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'I Like Helping Our Troops': 12-Year-Old Girl Sews Masks For Veterans On Life-Saving Equipment At VA Hospital During Coronavirus Pandemic

BALDWIN (KDKA) -- A 12-year-old girl in Baldwin is spending her time at home sewing masks for veterans on life-saving dialysis at the VA hospital in Oakland.

"I picked the veterans hospital because I like helping our troops," said Averee Kenny.

On top of that, she loves sewing. It's a skill Kenny learned in the third grade.

baldwingirl
(Photo Credit: KDKA)

She's borrowing her mom's sewing machine to do the job.

"We couldn't find any elastic so we decided to use twine," said Kenny.

Kenny finished her first batch of masks last weekend. Now she's hoping to finish her second round of masks by Sunday so they can get to the hospital by Monday.

She hopes to sew around 100 of them with the help of her mom, Ann.

"I've been helping cut them out and cut the twine for her so she can just finish sewing them," said Ann.

Averee has also sewn some masks for people in her neighborhood, including the hospice nurses who cared for her grandfather, who recently passed away.

"I've always helped in our community. And with me having the materials and not everyone being able to have masks, I thought that it was important for the people that did need them to have them," said Averee.

If she can get her hands on some new material once she's done with this round of masks, she said she will continue to sew more.

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