A True Heart of the House Healthcare Hero
Lloyd Mundle is a chef who interviewed with Heart of the House in February. Suddenly the pandemic hit, and chef positions, like many hospitality jobs, were on hold.
Heart of the House Healthcare was busy supporting New York’s medical providers with front-line workers, and Lloyd, with a passion for serving and helping others, asked if he could help.
Lloyd: “People first, safety first does not just apply to the times we are facing now, it’s a code I have always lived by, It means I can show my care for others by staying safe & healthy. If I’m healthy, I can work to protect the health and safety of others.”
One of New York’s leading hospitals needed a mortuary technician. This is an emotionally challenging job that involves transporting the deceased from their beds to be carried away to the morgue. Lloyd, who was used to breathing life into new dishes in the kitchen, made a brave decision: he would help the hospital with an inevitable part of life: death.
Lloyd: “Being a mortuary tech wasn’t something I wanted to do, but I want to help people in any way I can. I was faced with conversations about mortality and life’s unanswered questions from those in their final hour. I would distract them with questions about their lives: where they were from, where they traveled, if they had kids, etc. I got to hear about their entire lives. Every conversation with the patients I was exposed to would eventually end…and I was the one to remove them from their rooms after they passed. The staff helped me handle these grueling moments as best as anyone could.”
Lloyd’s outlook on life, especially after dealing with the realities of death, is something we can all appreciate.
Lloyd: “Life is short but love is the bigger picture. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what color you are, life is short. Treat each other with love and respect. I’ve seen families come together and cry, no matter what clothes they wore, what they looked like, or their background, they take nothing to the other side. I felt like the undertaker and was tasked with removing the bodies from the families, it reminded me of those that I love in my life.”
We are honored to work with such a courageous and selfless associate. Lloyd stepped out of his comfort zone to comfort people in their final hour. He, like many of our healthcare and hospitality associates working on the front-lines, is a true hero.