MADERA, Calif. – In the fast-paced world of surgery, Amanda Metcalf is used to thinking on her feet.
As a certified surgical technologist, she spends her days preparing operating rooms, organizing instruments and assisting surgeons. But recently, Metcalf has taken on a new venture: turning hospital waste into heartfelt keepsakes for patients.
It started with a video she saw online. An anesthesiologist in Bend, Oregon, had begun repurposing the blue sterile wraps used to cover surgical instruments – normally destined for landfills – into reusable tote bags. Inspired, Metcalf realized she and her coworkers could do the same with wraps used at Valley Children’s.
“This is something we could really do,” she said. “This is an attainable goal.”
With help from a growing group of volunteers, many of whom are former patients and patient family members, Metcalf launched a local version of the project. Soon, the sterile blue plastic was being transformed into colorful, custom-designed bags, complete with pockets and straps – each one as unique as the patients who receive them.
“People started showing up with the most fabulous bags,” Metcalf said. “They’ve just taken it in an amazing direction.” Local students even crafted bags as part of a class project and brought them to the hospital.
The bags are now given to patients in place of the standard plastic drawstring sacks. Metcalf says the response has been overwhelmingly positive, especially from children and families.
“It’s something unique. It’s something they can take home and remember,” she said. “Maybe that little bit of kindness on a really horrible, stressful day made a difference.”
For Metcalf, who says she has found her place in the operating room, the tote bag project is about more than recycling; it’s about her team and the community coming together to improve the days of patients who need it.
Amanda and the team are always looking for volunteers to help craft the bags. If you’d like to help, send an email to contactus@valleychildrens.org.
