By Lily Belcher
Melanie Jordy, founder of Operation Lotus, has partnered with UVILIZER to supply six teachers with UV lamps to help disinfect schools for students’ return in August.
Eight years ago, Jordy started her nonprofit, Operation Lotus, to improve the lives of people in her community through donations and charity events.
“In September of 2012, my husband, Leon, died suddenly in my arms. At 31 years old, I was a widow. Leon left behind two small sons, Brodie (then age 5) and Carson (then age 3). On the morning of his funeral, I discovered I was pregnant with our third child,” she explains on the Operation Lotus website.
She chose the name Operation Lotus because “a lotus is a beautiful flower that grows from the muck in the water. In the worst conditions, it develops into something beautiful.”
While Hillsborough County families have been struggling with the decision whether or not to send their students back to school in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, the mother and retired educational therapist came up with an idea to help sanitize classrooms.
In her research, Jordy uncovered the ability of UV lights to eliminate bacteria and viruses that incubate in classrooms.
One study by Miriam E. R. Darnell, MD, a researcher from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, showed the effect UV light has on COVID-19.
“UVC (ultraviolet C) efficiently inactivated SARS‐CoV in 40 minutes,” Darnell concluded.
The Center of Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Darnell’s results, explaining that UV light can kill pathogens in the air and on surfaces.
Operation Lotus’ newest project is helping students and teachers return to schools safely. After her research, Jordy reached out to UVILIZER, a company that sells UV lamps. UVILIZER said it would partner with Operation Lotus and donated two handheld ultraviolet light wands and two ultraviolet lamps. It also provided a 10 percent discount to customers that use the code LOTUS.
Maggie and Nate Goldberg from FishHawk donated two additional UVILIZER lamps. The Goldbergs donated the lamps because they wanted to do their part in helping students return to schools.
“We both believe strongly that one of the best ways to protect the kids is keeping the classrooms continuously clean,” Goldberg said.
To purchase a UVILIZER lamp, visit https://www.uvilizer.com. To learn more about Operation Lotus, visit https://operationlotus.wixsite.com/website.
