Kiya Tomlin, a fashion designer and the wife of Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, has spent the last three weeks working tirelessly to produce face masks from her home. 

Tomlin owns a store in Etna, Pennsylvania, and had already announced she was donating 20 percent of all sales to help fight the coronavirus, but she stepped up her efforts when she learned of a mask shortage among health care workers. 

"It's hard to sit here and watch, and people that you know are risking their lives underprepared to take care of people and we are all worried about getting our hands dirty at the grocery store," Tomlin told Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. "It's good to be able to support those people, even though I can't do what they do. What I do is in support for them. What I have heard they appreciate it and I am happy to do it."

After ordering more supplies in bulk, Tomlin says she can now produce up to 500 masks per week. Her staff decided to work from their homes as they continue to manufacture the protective gear by hand. Lately, Tomlin's team altered the design to allow for filters to be placed inside. She said once her work became public knowledge, the Pittsburgh police department even called her up to ask for help supplying masks. 

It's reached the point where the public is asking to purchase masks as not to take away from health care workers who need them most. Tomlin's plan began as a donation but may have to evolve to accommodate the needs of an increasingly at-risk society. 

"We have such a high demand for people to buy them," Tomlin said. "We might do something where if you buy six, we can donate six to health care workers. People understand we aren't selling them yet, but still want to know as soon as we sell them."

In speaking with ESPN's Brooke Pryor, Tomlin says she can make one mask in about eight minutes and hopes to keep producing 50 per day herself. All the while, she's sending shipments to hospitals in Cleveland and New York as well as providing supplies in Pittsburgh. 

The designer is currently taking donations for materials and already received a large amount from JOANN Fabrics as she continues to produce the protective equipment. 

"When I started it, I was like, we couldn't finish our spring collection, so when we're sitting at home doing nothing, we can sew this until it's time to go back to work," Tomlin told Pryor. "I didn't realize how fast and big the demand was going to be where now we have to deliver. Masks can be made. We make masks now."