News : Lamont, Lang headed for NJ to fight COVID-19

Lillie Lamont and Carli Lang will leave for NJ to help with the COVID crisis on the East Coast

We live in a time where we need heroes more than we've needed them in a long, long time. Not the kind who wear helmets or sneakers, or the kind who carry hammers or shields; no, we need the kind who carry stethoscopes and wear scrubs.

Meet two heroes.

Lillie Lamont and Carli Lang are right now supposed to be in the middle of the last semester of their senior years in high school, getting ready for prom, graduation, and futures at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, respectfully. Instead, the Vinton-Shellsburg seniors and Virginia Gay Hospital CNAs will be on their way to New Jersey Tuesday morning to pitch in to help with health care crunch in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

"We're going to working in a hospital where they have several patients who have COVID-19," Carli said. "They have a limited staff out there, so we're going to be working as CNA's out there in those facilities."

According to Lillie, the idea for the two of them to take this leap came after watching reports on the news.

"For me it started when I was watching the news and saw it broadcast that there places out east...that were struggling with staff shortages," she said. "I was thinking it would really awesome to go help."

Through 6 p.m. Monday, there are 577,842 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States and 23,232 deaths. Lillie and Carli will be located just outside of New York City, right in the cusp of the worst of the outbreak.

"We've been told to prepare for the unpreparable," Carli said. "We'll be around COVID patients, taking care of them, just doing nursing needs, daily needs, just like we'd be doing back here at Virginia Gay."

Carli added they could also be a Med/Surg (Medical and Surgical) floor because of staff getting moved to handled the COVID patients.

"We're helping the overflow," Lillie added.

Their plan is to drive out to New Jersey, as they could end up being assigned to any one of 20 different facilities and it would just be easier to have a car, rather than fly out.

Were it not for COVID-19, right now Lillie would be in the middle of golf season while Carli would be blasting clay pigeons, along with taking classes and hanging with their friends. But they said the support they've received through family, friends, the VGH staff and the schools has been tremendous.

"Overall, I'm just been overwhelmed the support," Lillie said. "I mean, I guess it takes a little bit of 'talking-into' with my parents, grandparents, but we made it."

But with nothing decided about those big moments in any senior's life -- like graduation or prom -- these two are taking off with the idea of missing those.

"That was something we had to consider," Carli said, when we talked about the sort of things we were potentially missing."

"We've been in contact with all of our teachers and they've all been really supportive because school is still the number one priority," Lillie added. "They've all be very understanding, and willing to work with us like online and make sure we're able to get all the requirements that are necessary, but maybe in a different way."

One of the biggest obstacles health care workers have faced in the crisis has been the lack of critical personal protective equipment (PPE), the masks, gloves, gowns and face shields that protect health care workers at time like this. But while they could always use more, Lillie and Carli are going in prepared.

"They told us to bring what we can," Carli said. "They said they'd provide it, but there's a chance we might be put in situations where we're going to have to decide for ourselves if it's safe, so that's something to consider.

"But," she added, "back here at home we've had a ton of support of countless people...we're probably going to have to get a separate suitcase, just for all the PPE we're taking with us."

The fact that these two heroes are going into this adventure together shouldn't be a surprise, as they are lifelong friends who are excited about their mission, making this partnership a natural.

"Yeah," Lillie said, "definitely."

"I'm really blessed to have Lillie and to have someone who is willing to do this with me," Carli said, "because all we'll have is each other; we won't have anyone else to call.

"It will be a big leap for both us."

Shouldn't be a problem...the best heroes take the biggest leaps.

Watch the complete interview on the link provided.