VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - They provide a luxury mattress and a good night's sleep. But now, a Virginia Beach mattress company has shifted operations.
"We tried to think about what we were going to do after coronavirus hit, then all of a sudden, boom, our retail customers closed their doors," said Board Chair and Co-Founder David Wolfe. "We knew we had to do something for humanity."
Leesa, founded in 2015, has always been in the business of providing comfort and support -- first to customers, and now to hospital patients.
"I took a call three weeks ago that snowballed into Sentara, which was preparing for a worst-case scenario, needing additional beds," Wolfe explained.
Since the showroom doors were shut, the company pivoted and sprang into action. Co-founder Jamie Diamonstein quickly designed a twin frame and mattress for hospital use.
"We created a 6- or 7-inch mattress, then we added a pillow and a cover that would be wipeable," said Wolfe.
But then the hospital responded and said they needed something for those in respiratory distress.
"So, we went back to the drawing board. They said they needed something to elevate patients 30 degrees, so we quickly designed a wedge and got it manufactured," Wolfe explained.
The company with the motto, "A mattress made for good," has now produced - alongside manufacturers in Indiana - 3,000 mattresses for Sentara hospitals in Hampton Roads and North Carolina.
"Necessity is the mother of invention, and we have all done an incredible job here," said Wolfe.
Wolfe says while they were happy to deliver a better rest for patients, he believes the true heroes are those in healthcare.
Related: TCC donates medical equipment as more people test positive for coronavirus
"I am humbled daily by the people of Sentara -- it's extraordinary what they do every day. Even in the heat of battle, these people are doing unbelievable work," Wolfe said.
Wolfe says they are now fielding calls from other hospitals across the nation and have found a way to produce 1,000 beds a day if needed.
If you know of any hospital in need, please reach out to david@leesa.com or click here.
