The coronavirus pandemic is causing millions of people across the globe to struggle emotionally. That is why Tate Hegstrom thought of doing something for those who could use some “bright light” during this difficult time. Tate is not alone in his mission, though. He found the perfect helper, and his name is Kovu.
Tate works as an administrative resident at HealthONE, which is a part of HCA Healthcare. For the past few months, he has been at the North Suburban Medical Center in Denver to help the Colorado hospital have a smooth operation as they respond to the challenges of COVID-19. Tate said that they ensure to keep and take care of all the hospital staff.
Aside from protecting the jobs of the hospital employees, Tate and his colleagues are also finding ways to show their support for the frontline workers of the medical world. Recently, Tate’s program featured a video of the HCA Healthcare administrative workers as they sing “Lean on Me.” They dedicated the song to the doctors, nurses, cleaning staff, and other frontline employees.
Tate also came up with another video that had a little bit of a twist. This time, he featured Kovu, his three-year-old husky, which he named after a character from the Disney movie “The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.” Tate said that he did not have a hard time convincing Kovu to have a duet with him since the dog usually starts singing the moment he hears something melodic.
According to Tate, with a little motivation, Kovu would immediately hop right in. Sometimes, he even takes a while to stop. Tate said that Kovu’s “Lean on Me” video was supposed to be an “internal thing. However, it was later on shared outside of HCA Healthcare and became viral.
Tate is thrilled to share with everyone the happiness he gets from spending time with his dog every day. According to the fur dad, after spending 12 hours in the hospital, he comes home, and Kovu gives him one of his big old howls, which for him is very special. Tate noted that he and his wife had found so much joy in the unconditional love of their fur baby.
Credit: Kovu
