Austin Attorneys Provide #mealsforheroes

BY DANIELLA LYTTLE

There is no question that COVID-19 has had an impact on everyone. At the time this article went to press, Travis County had almost 60,000 confirmed COVID cases, sending Austinites to the ICU in massive numbers and putting a tremendous strain on our medical community.

Nurses, doctors, hospitalists, and medical staff have struggled with their dual roles as health care providers and caregivers to their own families. Many have increased their work hours to cover the greater needs of the Austin community, often while experiencing a reduction in pay. In addition, many with children are struggling to find childcare or help with monitoring virtual school. Working from home was never an option for the medical community, and, as first responders, Austin depends on them now more than ever before.

At the beginning of the pandemic, medical professionals had to worry about securing enough personal protective equipment (PPE) and witnessed firsthand the impact of the novel virus and what it was doing to the community. Once PPE equipment became more readily available, the medical community continued working long shifts wearing uncomfortable gear. In addition to their normal protective gear, medical professionals are wearing N95-rated masks, with a surgical mask on top, followed by a face shield or goggles. On top of all this gear, medical professionals are wearing a hood with a blower that creates positive pressure inside the hood, a surgical isolation gown, surgical booties, and double or triple gloves. The typical shift at the hospital is 10 to 12 hours long with the gear making deep and painful dents on the skin and causing difficulty with normal breathing functions for even the most experienced professionals.

As the pandemic continued to drag on, Lyttle became aware that many hospitals had to shut down the food lounges providing hot meals for medical professionals. This is when she started delivering packaged meals randomly to hospitals…. During one of those deliveries, she posted pictures of her meal delivery on social media, and #mealsforheroes was born.

Currently, N95-rated masks are still in short supply. Austin medical professionals do not have the supply to have disposable N95-rated masks. Using a UV-C sanitizing system, the masks are sanitized and reused to stretch the supply.

Austin Bar member Daniella Lyttle recognized the hardships facing the medical community early on and began driving around Austin collecting N95-rated masks from willing donors and delivering them to local hospitals.

As the pandemic continued to drag on, Lyttle became aware that many hospitals had to shut down the food lounges providing hot meals for medical professionals. This is when she started delivering packaged meals randomly to hospitals in the Seton system, with the simple hope that getting a hot meal would make someone’s day a little brighter during a long shift at the hospital.

During one of those deliveries, she posted pictures of her meal delivery on social media, and #mealsforheroes was born. There was an overwhelmingly positive response from local attorneys who sympathized with the hardships of the medical community and commented that they, too, wanted to help.

Thanks to the contributions of Austin attorneys Jake Gilbreath, Keiko Anderson, Patricia Dixon, Dorothy Lawrence, Gabrielle Schreiber, Caroline Badinelli, Holly Davis, Margaret Kercher, Audrey Blair, Ilana Tanner, Eileen Lawrence, Melissa Ward, and Claire Carter, with Lyttle’s commitment to match, dollar-for-dollar, those first contributions, $3,000 has been collected to date. Additional contributors were Angie Hertel, court reporter to Judge Hathcock, and local dentists Dr. Khosravian and Dr. Bemanesh. Multiple meals have been served throughout the Seton network of hospitals with enough funding to carry #mealsforheroes through March of 2021.

Austin lawyers have suffered from disrupted schedules, stress, and isolation from friends and family, while watching colleagues, friends, and family struggle with the unknowns of COVID-19. It has caused many to dig deep for inspiration and hope. Despite all that, the legal community is here, present, and willing to acknowledge the sacrifices local medical professionals are making daily for Austin.

There’s no better way to start 2021! ’Tis the season to bring smiles and hot meals to the heroes in the medical community, to say thank you, and to take care of them while they continue to give so much back.

If you’re interested in helping with #mealsforheros, you may email Lyttle at ddl@lyttlelaw.com.

Daniella Lyttle is the managing partner of Lyttle Law Firm. Her firm focuses exclusively on family law and immigration law matters and has been serving Austin since 2010. Lyttle is also a member of the Austin Bar.