Staying Positive and Solving Problems During the Pandemic

2020 is a year students will read about in history books generations from now. From the COVID-19 pandemic to social unrest surrounding civil rights to a turbulent election season, Americans will not soon forget the start of this decade. We conquered and made our way through challenge after challenge.

But there were bright spots in this dark year. Air Force veteran John Goubeaux kept his positive attitude and came up with a way to help fill an immediate need many people faced.

John usually wears disposable masks for his regular doctor appointments, but he couldn’t find any masks when the pandemic began. When he saw people wearing cloth ones, that sparked an idea.

John went to the craft store, and his wife and caregiver Vicky helped him pick out some fabric and elastic.

“The store workers gave me one, so I took it apart to see how it was made,” John said. “It took about five hours to make one.” John lives with traumatic brain injury (TBI) but likes to keep his brain active by solving problems.

John made masks for himself and his wife, and when people saw them wearing homemade masks, they asked about them. John offered to make masks for his friends. Making masks on a larger scale by hand would take a lot of time, so he decided to use his stimulus check to buy a sewing machine...

Read the rest of this story in the December issue of Homeland magazine. 

About Wounded Warrior Project

Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more at https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org.