diff --git a/db/driver.go b/db/driver.go
index a9b1ed0..5caed19 100644
--- a/db/driver.go
+++ b/db/driver.go
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ package db
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"database/sql"
 	"log/slog"
+	"time"
 
 	_ "github.com/jackc/pgconn"
 	_ "github.com/jackc/pgx/v5"
@@ -25,3 +27,34 @@ func NewPostgresPool(dataSource string) *pgxpool.Pool {
 	slog.Info("connected to database")
 	return dbPool
 }
+
+const maxOpenDbConn = 10
+const maxIdleDbConn = 5
+const maxDbLifetime = time.Minute * 5
+
+func NewMySQL(dataSource string) (*sql.DB, error) {
+	d, err := sql.Open("mysql", dataSource)
+	if err != nil {
+		slog.Error("error connecting to database", "error", err)
+	}
+
+	d.SetMaxOpenConns(maxOpenDbConn)
+	d.SetMaxIdleConns(maxIdleDbConn)
+	d.SetConnMaxLifetime(maxDbLifetime)
+
+	err = testDB(d)
+	if err != nil {
+		slog.Error("error pinging database", "error", err)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return d, nil
+}
+
+func testDB(d *sql.DB) error {
+	err := d.Ping()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/utils/utils.go b/utils/utils.go
index f28ac89..69e1411 100644
--- a/utils/utils.go
+++ b/utils/utils.go
@@ -19,3 +19,10 @@ func LogAndReturnError(err error, message string) error {
 	slog.Error(message, "error", err.Error())
 	return fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", message, err)
 }
+
+func GetBoolFromString(s string) bool {
+	if s == "S" || s == "s" {
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}